Cold Interface
by Paper Bullet
Summary: Rukia Kuchiki grew up alone in the worst prefecture of an anarchical Japan. Captured by a group known as The Factory, she now lives in a cell with Ichigo Kurosaki and Grimmjow Jeagerjaques. Three people with such attitude problems were never meant to be.
1. Home Away From Home

**COLD INTERFACE**

_Prologue_

Habrinnia was the worst place possible to live in Japan, a country once led with some type of order. Now a completely anarchical, destroyed, and crime-filled country, those who lived amongst the disease-ridden and god-forsaken streets fended for themselves. Families were a rarity. If a person wasn't alone, they were either with one (sometimes even two) sibling or cousin. Of course, everyone knew that even if Japan had no form of government, The Factory held the most power. It was run by Gin Ichimaru, a conniving and sneaky middle-aged man. It had many workers and slaves, who were treated poorly and as if they were lower than the dirt they walked on.

Aside from protecting oneself from everyone around, one had to watch out for people from The Factory (no one even knew it's real name – it had always been referred to as 'the factory' and thus its foolish nickname was born). For there were recruiters. But they didn't go around asking for people to join. They took them by force. They captured people who seemed weak enough to be captured but strong enough to work in an environment such as The Factory.

The world was in ruins, and no one was quite sure how it got that way. It didn't happen overnight, but it sure as hell had seemingly just _happened_. No one tried to change it anymore. Sure, there had been fools trying to usurp the imaginary ruler's crown but everyone always failed miserably.

Habrinnia was the straight slums. Poverty, crime, disease, all things bad imaginable were housed in Habrinnia, a newly but unofficially established prefecture. Dead bodies were cascaded along the streets and it smelled terrible. Gun shots, boisterous and drunken laughter, crying, and yells were always audible no matter where one walked. There was no peace and quiet. Rukia Kuchiki, age 15, had grown up alone here. And she lived, able to fend for herself.

* * *

_Chapter I – Home Away from Home_

Dark violet eyes scanned the surrounding streets. It was raining heavily, and the downpour drowned out some of the city's sounds. A few rotten produce stands were sitting on the corners, closely monitored by the owners. Her eyes latched on the one selling tomatoes and oranges. Most of them looked too small and bad, but she saw a few good ones among the batches. She places her hands on the wall of the building she peered around. She had to be quick and soundless if she was not to be caught.

She'd done this so many times before that she supposed it should have been natural by now, but she still felt slightly bitter about the whole ordeal. But those thoughts were quickly shoved from her head as she rushed forward. The store owner turned his head away, and she took it as her opening. Her legs swiftly ran across the street, her dark black hair flying back. A lone lock cut across her face, her hair style odd compared to most. But it was clean, which was surprising. Rukia had found a clean river running through a forest a few miles west a few weeks ago and went there daily to clean herself. Doing so meant she had to keep her guard up more than usual, however, for men would be tempted to take a clean woman, something they were not used to seeing, over their own whores.

She slipped past the stand, grabbing two semi-ripe tomatoes and three oranges in her hands. She folded her tattered purple kimono up, using it to hold the fruits as she ran. Her face was cold and heartless, stoic as she ran around the corner, her bare feet pitter-pattering along the wet cement. The raven-haired girl heard rustling behind her, and it confused her slightly. If she had been caught, she was sure it would've been loud yelling and slopping feet behind her. But it was as if someone was trying to stalk behind her without her noticing. Too bad for them, Rukia had become adept with sensing her surroundings. One had to in Habrinnia. She smirked slightly as her pace increased, and she was sure she had lost whoever it was who was following her.

As she turned the corner, her tiny figure slammed into someone and the fruits went rolling. Her eyebrows instantly furrowed. "Would you watch where you're going?!" she spat angrily. Despite the man being twice her size, she had the attitude to compensate someone twice _his _size.

Two arms came from around her, squeezing Rukia's small frame to a man behind her. Her eyes stared up with anger and confusion at the man she had ran into as she began to struggle violently. She was strong for someone her size and age. The man in front of her drove a fist into her stomach, and she let out a somewhat masculine grunt before losing consciousness. The man who was restraining her tossed her onto his shoulder and walked toward the small dirty white van. It slid open from the inside and he tossed the limp girl in, shutting the door quickly after.

As the two men got in, it sped away and down the street, water slashing out from under the tires.

* * *

Rukia woke up sometime during her being carried into a large building. Smoke puffed out of the top from long metal brown tubes and she stared up, someone's shoulder digging into her stomach. It took her a moment to collect herself and remember what had happened. Instantly, she kicked her foot forward, which happened to be aligned with the man's abdomen. He locked his arm around the back of her legs and kept them to his chest so as to cease her struggling. She resorted to using her arms, but it seemed to have no effect on the tall man.

It wasn't long before they were inside and she could hear the clanging of machinery and metal objects. People yelled commands all around and it was even louder here than it was in the city. Rukia had heard stories about this place. It was The Factory, the place that made products ranging from drugs to silverware. The workers were treated like shit. No, less than shit. They were treated like nothing. But one thing Rukia didn't understand was why she had been brought here. Why her? Didn't they want big and strong men? Why would they want a teenage girl who was less than five feet tall?

She was set down, but two men came around her, holding her upper arms and walking her forward. She frowned bitterly and started planning which man she could take down more easily. Before she could execute said plan, a long strip of cells were before her. Each was about ten feet wide by ten feet long. There was hay and dirt on the ground, and the bars were black and slick, but thick. One tall and dark man unlocked one of the cells, and she was thrust inside. Whipping around, she glared as the barred door was quickly re-locked. Her right fist tightened at her side in anger, but she soon let out a sigh and her body untensed. Hell, not much she could do about it now. She'd have to wait until she was out. Just for measure, she gripped one of the vertical bars and tugged. '_Damn. No chance in budging._'

"Hey. Who're you?" called a voice from behind her, and Rukia twisted around in shock.

She hadn't realized it before, but there were two men sitting against the back walls in the shadows. The only thing she could really make out about them was their hair color, however. The one who seemed to have asked the question had spiky orange hair. The other man, whose face was turned to the side, who seemed very angry, had aqua blue hair, slightly longer than the other boy's. "Who wants to know?" she asked defensively.

The orange-headed boy stood up, having pushed off of the ground. He stepped into the light and looked down at the short girl. "I'm Ichigo Kurosaki." He stared at her for a moment. "Which district did they bring you from?"

Rukia took in his face. He was young, her age, and had a handsome face covered by what seemed to be a permanent scowl. But he was in this cell and she assumed he was in the same position she was – a slave. "Rukia Kuchiki. I come from Habrinnia."

That seemed to spark the interest of the other man who remained sitting. He looked over. "Habrinnia? The fuck they doing bringing some girl from there?"

"Dunno," Ichigo responded. "Guess you've got questions, eh? Not like there's anything to do right now, so go ahead." Their shift had ended only half an hour ago and wouldn't start until the morning; same with Rukia's.

She raised an eyebrow at him. "How long have you two been here?"

Ichigo scratched the back of his head as he stared past her, thinking. "Uhh… Probably a year. Grimmjow's been here longer. 'Bout a year an a half I think."

Rukia blinked. They had been here that long? "Haven't you tried to escape?" she inquired skeptically.

The blue-haired man laughed from the corner and stared up at her. "Listen woman. You don't escape some place like this."

"Sounds to me like you just haven't tried."

Grimmjow got up, his eyebrows drawn together. He pushed past Ichigo and stared down at her. "Don't fuckin' come in here telling us what to do like you're our fuckin' boss, bitch. If you wanna try and escape, be my goddamn guest."

'_Someone's touchy. Then again, he's been here for almost two years… I suppose I would be, too,_' Rukia conceded. She turned around and stared out the bars, seeing nothing but people working at machines and carrying objects from station to station. Meanwhile, guards and obviously wealthy men stood at their posts, commanding the workers or guarding certain items and utilities. Her stomach rumbled, and she forgot all about the fruit she had stolen and dropped.

Grimmjow let out a scoff and went back to the wall, sitting down and closing his eyes.

Ichigo only stared down at her again. "Won't get food for another hour, but I think Grimmjow saved some bread from lunch."

Grimmjow looked baffled at Ichigo. "The hell?! You must be pretty fucking retarded if you think she's getting my food," he growled.

Ichigo looked back over his shoulder. "You stole it from that one guard and you're not even hungry. Just give 'er some."

"No, it's fine. I don't need food from _him_." She didn't like accepting help from anyone, anyway.

"Jeeze you two are stubborn."

Grimmjow yelled "And you aren't?!" simultaneously when Rukia spat "Who're you calling stubborn?!"

Ichigo twisted a pinky finger in his ear as he closed his right eye reflexively from all the yelling. "Great, that's just what we needed. Another loud mouth."

"Trust me, the feeling's mutual," Rukia replied.

"Well you're going to be here a while, girl, so get used to it." Grimmjow stared at her with no sympathy what-so-ever.

Ichigo only glanced away and sat back down at the wall while Rukia stared out the bars again. Tonight had all happened so fast. She had been doing her nightly business and getting some food, and now she was in a cage with two men who seemed to have attitude-problems, one more than the other. And she was going to 'be here for a while.' She closed her eyes and rested a hand on one of the bars. She didn't know about these two dopes, but there was no way in hell she was staying in a place like this for much longer. But Rukia had never been here. She didn't know what it was like.

She would find out come tomorrow morning.

* * *

**Chapter Note: **Hey guys! New story. I'm not trying to make this a surprise pairing story, so I'll tell you right off the bat it will be mainly Grimmjow & Rukia. However, there WILL be obvious IchiRuki moments and whatnot. Just know that a triangle is a possibility, but there will be a _definite _pairing when the story progresses.

I've been planning this plot for a while now and have most of the story mapped out in my head, but I'm always open to suggestions. I don't think there will be any OCs in here. I'll mainly be filling in characters with Bleach canon characters. Anyone you'd like included – just let me know (:

-Ami


	2. Agitation

**COLD INTERFACE**

_Agitation_

The first night in the cold and murky cell was horrible. The raven-haired girl named Rukia hadn't gotten an ounce of sleep. For one, it was far too noisy. The clanking of metal and yelling of deep-voiced men drove her insane. She'd often look over at the adjacent wall and see Ichigo and Grimmjow sleeping as if it was nothing. She didn't know how they could do it, but she assumed that they had been here so long it was normal to them. And for another thing, she didn't trust a single person here. If she slept, her guard would be down, and in a place like this, a place worse than the streets of Habrinnia, she needed to be alert at all times. Time passed slowly throughout the night, and she simply stared into space, her thoughts running rampant inside her head. She was going to escape this Godforsaken place no matter what. It was just a matter of figuring out how to do so in a building so strictly guarded.

Rukia's head snapped up at the sound of the cell door opening. It creaked loudly and ominously, as if taunting her. She could see through the iron bars a man with long black hair that covered part of one eye. He smiled wickedly at her as he swung open the port and stepped inside. She got up from her spot immediately, but the man still towered over her.

"Tch. Just fuckin' Nnoitra," Grimmjow growled from against the wall to himself, his eyes sliding open casually. His face was nonchalant, as if nothing fazed him.

Ichigo stood up and bent his neck to the side, cracking it. "Careful of this one, Rukia. He's been known to--"

"Be a faggot," Grimmjow interrupted.

"...yeah," Ichigo agreed.

Rukia blinked, her eyes narrowing a millimeter at the sight of him. She already didn't like this man and he hadn't spoken a word yet. "What do you want?" she bit out coldly.

"Well well. Wudda we got here? A midget, female version of these two shitheads eh?"

"Who are you calling a midget?! Learn your manners, you oaf!" Rukia spat angrily at the man.

Nnoitra's smile only increased at her outrage. "I can tell you'll be a lot of fun. C'mon you weaklings, morning round has started." He turned his back and walked out of the cell, holding onto one of the door bars. Grimmjow stood up grumpily and walked out, Ichigo following casually behind. It took a moment, but Rukia begrudgingly followed as well. She couldn't _wait _to see what they would have her do every day from now on. Nnoitra led them into the main workroom which was filled with many stations and men. Rukia didn't spot a single female around. Well, there was a questionable figure that could be either or; it was too far away to tell. Why had they brought her? She seemed to be the smallest person in the room. Though, she knew she wasn't the weakest. These men had bulging muscles, but in a one on one, she would be able to outmaneuver most of them in a fight and win. It was killing her brain from the inside out trying to figure out why she was brought here. Finally, she decided to ask. "Hey idiot," she called to Nnoitra. "Why am I here? Why would you guys bring someone like me here?" she asked rebelliously.

Nnoitra stopped and then nodded his head casually toward one area of the room. Ichigo and Grimmjow headed to the work benches and began lifting some oddly-shaped metal weights and carrying them to various other benches. Funny how they seemed to be doing everything they were told, but seemed like two guys who wouldn't take shit from anyone... At least that's what she had gathered from the few minutes she had talked with them. Nnoitra then took a step forward, closing the gap between him and the petite girl. "How the hell should I know? Now, _little girl_, you have the honors of kitchen duty today. So follow me."

Rukia glanced around. Guards seemed to look over every now and again with intimidating stares, as if _daring_ her to run. She knew she couldn't right now, even if she wanted to. Sighing mentally, she followed the tall man into another backroom where it was slightly quieter. It was hot, however, but had a more calming feeling to it. It smelled like meat and spices as she walked through, the smell of food wafting through the air. "Hanatarou is our cleaning and cooking boy," Nnoitra said, intending on offending the young man who they approached. He looked very timid and scared right now, with his apron on over ratty clothing. "He'll show you how to cook and shit. As for your guard, I won't be having the _pleasure _of watching over you. My shift's over."

'_Thank God_,' Rukia thought bitterly. But she said nothing, biting her tongue for once, just wanting the man to leave already. Nnoitra looked closely at her, as if being able to tell she had something to say. He only offered her a sinister smile and reached out to touch her hair, but she smacked his hand away rather viciously. Surprisingly, he did nothing. The gleam of malicious intentions in his eyes deepened, and he turned, walking out. As soon as he left, a new figure walked in. His eyes stood out immediately, very beautiful and vibrant for such a dull expression he held on his face. His hair was a wavy brown and went to his shoulders. He looked to be in his mid- to late-thirties. Rukia's scowl deepened on her face as he approached, standing tall and looking down at her.

"Well, get to work," he told them, but there was no meanness in his voice. Only indifference and fatigue.

Hanatarou finally registered in Rukia's brain and she turned to him. "H-Hello. Rukia-san is it?"

"Yes. How did you know my name?"

"I'm in the cell next to you... Uhm, but I wasn't eavesdropping, I swear! I just overhead, and and...and...I'm sorry!" he apologized, and Rukia couldn't help but smile slightly.

"It's alright. Hanatarou right?"

"Yes."

"Well, you're the chef. So what's my job?"

"Well, uhm, you can just bake the bread. Do you know how to do that?"

"Yes, I can manage."

"A-Alright.

* * *

"So what do you think of that new girl?" Ichigo asked Grimmjow as they lugged heavy boxes across the room.

Grimmjow grunted. "I think she's a bitch and I don't know why the hell they brought someone as weak-looking as her here," the teal-haired man replied. He lifted his arms up and shoved the box atop a growing stack of other cardboard crates.

"Yeah, I was wondering about that. Seems odd. Never seen a girl here before, except for Soifon. And she's strong as hell, so she doesn't even count." Come to think of it, Rukia and Soifon were about the same size. Maybe Rukia was hella strong like Soifon. Ichigo mentally shrugged the thought away.

"Don't really give a fuck. I wanna know why they put her in OUR cell to talk our goddamn ears off."

"The hell?" Ichigo lifted another box and started walking, along with Grimmjow. "She didn't even talk that much last night. Hell, I slept fine even though we had a new person."

"Feh. I just don't like the bitch. She won't last one goddamn week in this place. I'm gonna make sure her life in the cell is a living hell, too. Living in a cell with _you _is already enough bullshit. Adding a sarcastic midget to the mix isn't my idea of fun. If you ask me, they shoulda brought a real woman instead."

Ichigo set the box down on the bench and looked over to Grimmjow with a serious stare. Grimmjow stopped and set his down as well, at first giving Ichigo the what-the-fuck-you-lookin'-at look. But then his eyebrows settled slightly and a mutual understanding of some sort passed through them. Ichigo then looked away as if it were nothing and stared up at the big circular clock mounted on the wall. The second hand seemed to tick by every-so-slowly.

"She's gonna be here for a while. You and I both know that. So give 'er a break, willya?" he asked in his usual off-handed tone.

"Whatever. If the bitch says something to me I'm not gonna sit their like a jackass and take it. I'll tear her ass a new one."

"Yeah yeah, just shut up."

"The fuck you say to me, Kurosaki?!"

* * *

"Your shift if over, Hanatarou and Rukia."

Rukia turned to look at the man who she had come to learn his as Starrk. He seemed harmless and laid back, and she didn't mind him. But he worked for this place, and in the end would be one of the ones to try and prevent her escape. And for that, she hated him. But, for right now, she'd rather have him watching over her than the black-haired fiend. Slipping off her apron and tossing it onto the broken rack, she followed behind him as he began walking. Hanatarou stayed behind Rukia, shifting his eyes as if scared of what was around him. Rukia had learned that Hanatarou had only been here for one month, and that The Factory workers hadn't even meant to kidnap him. He got in the way of another kidnapping and the workers didn't want to come back empty handed. So Hanatarou, with not too much muscular build, worked in the kitchen every day. Rukia also learned that this wasn't her permanent working facility. The higher-ups were testing around to see where she would accomplish more.

Rukia returned to her cell to see it was empty. She sat against the back wall and looked over to her right and threw the bars to see Hanatarou already asleep on the ground, curled into a ball. He must've been exhausted from the day's work. Rukia didn't want to sleep, even though she was tired and hadn't slept the night before. It was an hour until dinner time, and so she would wait until then. Her stomach rumbled, and she crossed her arms over her lightly, her eyes cast to the side and down at the bottom of the sidewall's bars. This place... She felt even lonelier than she did in Habrinnia. And there were more people surrounding her here. She didn't understand it, but she felt completely alone and vulnerable, and she _hated _it. Rukia was strong and could take care of herself.

'_Why the hell am I feeling sorry for myself? I'll be fine!_' she thought angrily.

The cell door swung open a while later, and in Grimmjow and Ichigo came. Rukia looked up at the two men, and instantly her eyebrows furrowed with attitude. It was moreso at Grimmjow than Rukia. Ichigo wasn't even looking at her. But the blue-haired man was giving her a snarled look of disgust and she wanted to punch him in the stomach for it.

"So how was it?" Ichigo inquired with a casual nature. His eyes shifted back to her, and he seemed to have a permanent scowl on his face, but it didn't seem mean-looking to Rukia at all.

"It was fine."

"Heh, didya get beat up?" Grimmjow asked through a grin.

"No. Unlike you, I'm able to fend for myself."

Grimmjow growled. "What was that, bitch?"

Rukia pushed off the ground and stood up. "I'm sorry, was that too complex of a sentence for your pea-sized brain to comprehend? Let me dumb it down for you. Rukia strong. Rukia can take care of self. Not like Grimmjow. Grimmjow stupid and no take care of self."

Grimmjow pulled back a fist and drove it toward her, but Rukia simply ducked down and the drove her own fist into his stomach. Her tiny hand was surprisingly able to earn a grunt of pain from the taller man.

"Fuckin' bitch. I'm gonna kill you!"

Ichigo pinched the bridge of his nose in agitation, clearly frustrated and ready to blow up and yell at the both of them.

Rukia smirked. "Still wondering if I got beat up?"

"Just w--,"

"Hey you pieces of shit, time for supper."

All three looked over to see Nnoitra opening the door and waiting on them. Grimmjow and Ichigo glanced at each other for a second, and Rukia caught it. What was going on? Was there something bad that happened at supper time? Rukia walked forward hesitantly, following the trio of men. As she arrived to the main kitchen area, which connected to the place she worked today (but she hadn't been able to see the main eating area due to the separating wall), she looked around. It was bustling with activity. Rows of tables with filled seats and messy tabletops cluttered her vision. It was so noisy and at the end of each table stood a guard. Rukia stood in line, and she hadn't noticed until now but she was separated from Grimmjow and Ichigo. She looked around with as much discreteness as possible to see if she could spot them, but to no avail. A man cut in front of her, and Rukia narrowed her eyes. She tapped on his back and waited expectantly for him to turn around.

"Excuse me, but I believe you cut in front of me."

The man had had a deep, angry scowl on his face when he turned around, but upon seeing and hearing her, a smirk appeared. All of the sudden, men came from behind him. Apparently he had his own little 'posse' of roid-rage men. They surrounded her, and the man who was olive-toned and had excessively bushy eyebrows looked down at her with the smirk that never faded.

"Look here boys, seems as though we have a _girl _in our hands. This is rare."

"A woman?!?! It's been two years since I've been able to touch a woman!" one of the men shouted anxiously.

"Oh how I miss the soft skin of a woman. The feeling of my hand cupping their breast and my tongue swirling around their hardened pink nipple." The man wiggled his tongue around as if to demonstrate, and it cause Rukia to gain a look of disgust. She boldly told them to move from out her way, and they only seemed to laugh. The 'ring leader' stepped forward, causing Rukia to take a step back. She felt her back hit someone as she did, and she instantly whipped around to see it was Ichigo.

"Yo. Keep the line movin' will ya? I'm starving." Ichigo didn't even glance at the raven-haired girl.

The man looked at each other. A few shot Rukia a glance before they turned around and moved along the line. Rukia waited for Ichigo to say something to her, but he never did. "I didn't need your help you know."

"Who said I was helping you? I just want my food." After a second, he finally looked at her with a light smile.

Rukia took a moment, but returned it before turning around and moving up the line. Hm. So, this Ichigo Kurosaki seemed alright. He was still an idiot with manner issues, but... Tch. No, no one here was decent. Rukia had to keep her mind on the goal.

* * *

Rukia returned to her cell, in between Grimmjow and Ichigo as they walked. She sat down immediately and rested against the wall. The sleepless night from before and the day's work had caught up to her physically and the toll it took on her body was showing. Her eyelids slipped shut and she fell asleep rather quickly. She would mentally admonish herself for it the next morning. But the next morning held more in store for the petite girl.

Nnoitra was in the main factory room, standing his post and watching over the bench in front of him. But he glanced to the side and was able to see Ichigo, Grimmjow, and Rukia's cell from a distance. His eyes latched on the sleeping girl. He smiled.

* * *

**Chapter Note: **Sorry it took so long to update. Holidays came around and I was busy. Eh, this chapter is one of the boring ones but I can't jump right into the good stuff without building up. I mean, this story is going to be over 20 chapters with how I have it planned out x.x So, I hope you enjoyed! Questions, suggestions, and all feedback welcomed.

-Ami


	3. Bonds Through Hate

**COLD INTERFACE**

_Bonds Through Hate_

Grimmjow was the only one awake in their cell. It was late into the night, and both Ichigo and Rukia were fast asleep. The blue-haired man seemed to be watching the bustling activity through the bars, but not actually watching anything at all. His mind wandered to the darkness of his past, and a black flame of hatred flickered in his eyes. He abhorred not just the people in his memories but humankind in general. He detested people -- all of them. He'd only been able to befriend someone like Ichigo because he was forced to. He had to endure living in the same cell as him for the rest of his life, so making an enemy out of him would be pointless. Instead, he simply tolerated the orange-haired kid. Grimmjow Jeagerjaques was nineteen-years-old, and had been in this cell for about a year and a half. Ichigo had come approximately six months later. And now, there was this annoying girl to deal with. Both Ichigo and Rukia were of the same age -- sixteen. Tch, he was surrounded by annoying kids (Rukia would argue that even if she was younger, her mental age was far superior to his).

His eyes slid over with an impartial stare to the Kuchiki girl. He scrutinized her sleeping form. She didn't look like the little demon she was when she was asleep. But she was still small-breasted and a midget nonetheless. Ha! Sucked for her, eh? He took his eyes away from her and stared through the bars once more. He and Ichigo knew something that Rukia didn't. And the scary part was it was about her. The thing was, neither of them realized this fact was about her until yesterday when they were working. It all sort of clicked together, and they knew--more or less--why she was here. It sure as hell wasn't for her amazing biceps (or any other muscles for that reason). No, it she was brought here specifically upon The Factory Chairman's orders, he assumed. But why was she thrown into _their _cell? That wimpy Hanatarou boy had a cell all to himself. Why would they stick her with them when there was more space in the one right next to them? It just didn't make any sense to Grimmjow.

He shut his eyes and wiped the thoughts from his head. Like he cared. He didn't give a shit about this girl. It was just mild curiosity. That was all. Making that an ending note on that subject, he soon drifted to sleep.

* * *

The three awoke almost simultaneously at the sound of the metal barred door creaking open in a swing. Nnoitra rested casually against the entrance, uttering a "get up" to the three.

Ichigo was the first to stand, the other two right behind him. As the orange-haired teen walked by, he shot Nnoitra a quick glance. There was the briefest and lightest of warnings in it. Grimmjow caught the eye lock between the two, but said nothing. Rukia was oblivious.

"Let's see. You two dickheads know where you go. As for _you_, you can come with me."

Ichigo and Grimmjow headed off like yesterday. Yet another day of monotony. Maybe.

Rukia walked behind Nnoitra as he lead her to a separate hall, taking her down it and then turning around the bend which led into a private room. On one hand, it was nice to have a reprieve from all of the noise in the workroom. But on the other...she was now in a secluded area with this skinny man that she absolutely was disgusted by.

"Where are we going?" she bit out defiantly.

"You'll see."

Rukia stopped walked and crossed her arms over her chest, staring at his back with hateful eyes. He turned around and looked at her with a slightly curious stare. "I'm not going anywhere with you until you tell me exactly where you intend to take me."

His eyebrows were slightly raised, as if amused, but his smirk was nonexistent and his lips rested in a frown. He took a step toward her, and she took one back. He reached his long arm out and grabbed her by her shirt, pulling her in close to him. "I don't know why those idiots brought you here, because you're going to suck at everything except cooking -- something we don't need more people to do. So my only conclusion is you're here to serve as a fucktoy for all these guys that haven't seen pussy in years." He smiled slightly when her eyes trembled slightly. "But you see, I'm willing to make a compromise with you..." He used his free hand to grab her wrist and jerk it to him. He forcefully slid her hand down to between his legs, clothing separating skin on skin contact. She used all of her might to pull away from him, eyes narrowing with deeper hate and disgust.

He walked toward her, cornering her to a wall and placing hands on either side of her, palms flat on the wall. She was stuck in between him and the wall, but she hid all fear in her eyes. She only stared on with a rebellious attitude, ferocity emanating from her very being. "Do you understand, you little bitch? You can either be tossed around by all of those idiots out there like a rag doll, or you can be my own personal whore."

Rukia drove a fist up into the air, landing it on the underside of his chin and jaw. His head bucked back and he took a few steps backward. Nnoitra held his chin, grimacing with pain. Rukia packed one hell of a punch, that was for sure. But he wasn't focusing on her exemplary strength for someone her size. No, he was pissed. He rushed forward and grabbed her by her clothing again, pulling her to him quickly and then pushing her forward. Her body and head slammed against the wall hard enough that the sound of her skull impacting the wall could be heard.

"Nnoitra," a voice called from the distance.

The black-haired man held onto her clothing and looked down at her with searing anger in his eye. His body was tensed and he felt his blood run hot under his veins. But at the sound of that commanding and frightful voice from the shadows, he pulled back instantly, reluctantly. He turned around and left through another hall, leaving her stranded and alone. She pushed herself off the wall and started staggering down the way he had led her. She had a piercing headache but ignored it.

Once she was back in the work room, she looked around, searching for one of the men she knew -- whether it was Ichigo, Grimmjow, Hanatarou, or Starrk. But things were slightly blurry, and she couldn't quite tell who was who. The sound of Ichigo's voice made her turn her head to the side. "Hey--"

"The hell happened to you?" he asked in shock and watched as the blood trickled down the side of her neck, having come from the back of her head. He was tall enough that he could look down and see the dark red wet spot in her hair. He moved his eyes back to her own. "Hey, Rukia, you alright?"

Rukia blinked once, staring at Ichigo uneasily. His lips were moving, but no sound was coming out. In fact, everything was quiet. Black started to surround her vision, closing in and her hold on reality was slipping. The last thing she could see was the room around her spinning.

* * *

When Rukia awoke, she was in her cell, leaned against the wall. The bandages around her head felt heavy, and it took a minute for her to remember the day's happening -- the ones that had occured so quickly. She looked around and saw Ichigo and Grimmjow walking toward their cell, a man she'd never seen leading them. The guard opened the door and let the two vibrant color-haired men walk through before shutting and locking it.

"Hey, how ya feelin'?" Ichigo asked with a casual tone.

"Fine. What happened?"

Grimmjow sat down on the wall adjacent to her. "Ha! I saw the whole fuckin' thing from across the room. Your dumb ass came stumbling into the workroom with blood all down the back of you, looking uglier than usual. Kurosaki went to see what was up, and then you straight passed out. Shit, I'da left you there. But Kurosaki caught you and waited as one of the guards came and took you away. Hahaha, you looked so pathetic. Didn't I tell ya ya'd get beat up?"

Rukia rolled her eyes. "Shut up. I was not beat up."

Grimmjow smirked. "It must suck to know how weak you were. What, Nnoitra get a little too feisty rough for you?"

Rukia stood up and walked over to him, looking down at the blue-haired man. "I said shut up. I don't want to hear another word from you."

"You're not my goddamn mother, woman. Sit down before you pass out again."

Ichigo broke in before things got too hectic. "So what did happen?"

Rukia averted her eyes to the side. "Nothing."

"Nothing? It looked like someone bashed your head in with a plywood." Grimmjow watched with slightly questioning eyes, but hid them as best he could with indifference.

The girl sat back down and rested against the wall. Ichigo took seat next to her.

"That's what that look was for this morning, wasn't it Kurosaki."

"I dunno what you're talking about." Ichigo didn't look at him.

"I saw you look at that faggot this morning. You knew he was planning _something_."

Rukia tried to drown it all out. She didn't want to hear anything about this. She just wanted out. After a few minutes of thinking, she spoke up. "How many times have people tried to escape from here?"

* * *

**Author's Note:** Whoa, I'm so sorry it took SO long to update. Like... Damn, time flies by so fast. About this chapter...eh. I accidentally deleted the part I'd already written, which was the Nnoitra and Rukia scene. So I had to re-write it and it didn't come out as good. But at least a new chapter is out! And school's only got like one month left, so it's pretty lax and I can update much faster. I appreciate everyone's input! And I love constructive criticism!

-PB


	4. Crushed Hands

**COLD INTERFACE**

_Crushed Hands_

"How many times have people tried to escape from here?"

"More than you can count on ten hands." Ichigo stared at her evenly. She had the fresh spirit of every new person in The Factory. Ichigo had been like her. Hell, for the first six months he'd been there, he was determined to escape. He didn't give up even when the guards beat the shit out of him for trying. He didn't give up even when they'd pressed a lit cigarette to his neck, or when they kept bashing his ribs in with a steel bat. He had been so focused and head-strong back then, but after six months he slowly started to slip into the daily routine here. He wanted to leave, yeah. But there was no way. There was literally no possible way of escape here. Every entrance and exit was secured, and all indirect exits like ventilation systems were caged by metal bars bolted to the ceiling, and in public areas for that matter.

"I'm going to try."

Grimmjow moved his eyes over to the girl. "You're just like everyone that comes in here. Why don't you spare yourself another head injury and shut up about it?"

"How can the two of you sit here and be this place's slaves? Don't you want to go back to the outside world? Don't you want to be able to do whatever you want? You two are pathetic! I thought hard-headed men like you would never stand to be in a place like this! But it turns out you're too _weak_ to even try."

Grimmjow stood up and walked over to her. He lifted her by the front of her dark clothing and held her eye-level to him. "Listen, you goddamn bitch. You don't think we both tried when we first got here? You don't think we got our asses handed to us when we did? You try and escape and it gives the guards reason to use you as a punching bag for the next week and a half. Don't fuckin' call me weak when you don't know shit. You think you're tough because you came from a place like Habrinnia? You aren't worth shit. There's far worse than that."

Rukia took the breathing pause Grimmjow made to interject her own thoughts. She wrapped both of her tiny hands around his muscled arm, the one holding her up, and dug her finger tips into his skin. "So you're afraid of getting a little beat up? You gave up and now you're going to live this life until you die? I'd rather be dead than spend anymore time here!"

"That can be arranged, y-"

"Will you two stop? Jeeze, it's not worth it." Ichigo had rolled his eyes at their bickering.

Grimmjow dropped Rukia and she stormed over to Ichigo, doing what Grimmjow had done to her. However, with the height difference, once Ichigo stood to his feet it was Rukia pulling him down to her, no lifting him. "Don't you even try to play the calm and collected one! You're just as guilty as he is. Giving up. What is that? You need to try harder!"

Ichigo waved his arm through hers, pushing her grasping hand away from him. He averted his eyes to the side casually and stared off. "Just shut up."

* * *

"Oh, hello Miss Rukia!" Hanatarou seemed to be very excited upon seeing Rukia enter the kitchen area.

She offered him a soft smile. "I told you, you can just call me Rukia."

"O-Okay, Rukia then. How are you Rukia?"

The raven-haired teen's eyes slid to the side for a moment and then back at him. "Alright, what about you?"

"Oh, I'm fine!" He paused and stared at her. She seemed very distant, as if her mind was miles away. "Uhm, is there something wrong Rukia?"

Rukia's eyes focused back to reality. "No, not at all. I'm just a little tired is all."

"You know, I found that if you hum a tune when you're trying to fall asleep, it usually drowns out the noise from the main room." He looked to her with a concerned expression.

She smiled again. "Thanks, I'll have to try that."

* * *

Another day, another disaster.

Trouble seemed to seek out Rukia. Trouble had a giant rocket launcher filled with pain that had a personalized Rukia-seeker attached, and wouldn't detonate until it landed on the designated target. That's what she'd like to believe, at least.

The lunchroom seemed to be the place where people had the most freedom. That's the only place where other workers would mess with her. She stood in line with her tray. A tall and somewhat chiseled man slipped in front of her and snatched her tray. He grinned down at her.

"Hey cutie. You want your tray down, you gotta give me a little somethin' somethin'." When he smiled, the missing front right canine tooth was evident, as well as the black and yellow from the others.

Rukia looked the man up and down as if sizing him up. After a split second, she swept her leg in a circle on the floor around him. She knocked his legs out from under him and he fell backwards. In the process of falling, he had thrown the tray up, which Rukia snatched. The brute jumped back up to his feet with a sour expression and lunged after her, but she swung the edge of the tray into his face and then shoved it into his stomach, causing violent coughs to erupt from him. The area around Rukia went silent for a second, and she realized that she was circled by a bunch of people - some grinning with excitement and some pissed off. Rukia's eyes narrowed and she clutched onto her only weapon, the tray.

Someone from behind her looped their arms under her armpits to hold her arms back and keep her in a somewhat steady position. She struggled against him, and started to feel panic flood her when the men in front of her started to come forward. This was the moment that the hero was supposed to show up. This is where Ichigo would come in like before and save her from being...whatever these guys would do to her. This wasn't _actually_ going to happen. Not in a place like this, not with people like this. Ichigo woul- '_Damn it, why the hell am I depending on him? I don't need him! I can take care of myself just fine. I've been in situations like this before, why should this be any different?_'

As one guy came to stand right in front of her, she jumped up, her upper body still restricted, and drove her right foot into the man's face, shoving him back into the horde. Once back on both feet, she instantly moved her left foot to the side, kicking a man square in his groin. Rukia started feeling adrenaline rush through her, and felt like she could take on the whole cafeteria if it was against her. But before she could do another ninja move, she felt her cheek slam against the cold ground. The man who was behind her now sat on her back with knees on either side of her. She tried using her hands to push off the ground and throw him off, but she felt the pain of someone's weight on them as they stepped on the front side, crushing her palms into the ground. She winced silently at the two hundred something pounds on her hands. She felt the man on her back curl his fingers into her hair and tug harshly, jerking her head back.

"Heh heh, lookie boys. She hasn't even cried! Tough little bitch, must mean she could handle a cock real well." He tugged on her hair a bit harder. "Can you? Huh? Can you handle being used like a dirty little whore?"

She said nothing, trying not to focus on the pain in her hands. But when she didn't say anything, she felt someone stomp on her right leg. She let out a somewhat loud yelp before clenching her teeth together. After only a second longer, the weight on her was miraculously lifted, as well as the shoes on her hands. Rukia rolled over and sat up within one fluid motion. She looked down at her hands as reflex, and could feel them throbbing with pain. She right to move her leg to try and get up but found that any movement caused pain to shoot up her calf. Ichigo had came, hadn't he? She looked up to see a flurry of turquoise hair, and her eyes widened. Once he sent a fist into one of their faces, the rest seemed to back off. Grimmjow turned around with a dull expression. He looked down at her with expressionless eyes.

"Don't think I did this to save you. I had to prove to you just how wrong you were. I'm far from weak." His statements were true, as a pile of incapacitated men lay on the ground.

"I wasn't aware you cared so much about what I thought."

Grimmjow grit his teeth together and furrowed his eyebrows. "The hell I do! I couldn't give a rat's ass what you think, you little bitch!" He saw Rukia smirk slightly at how furious he had gotten. He then realized she was still on the ground. "What, is my presence so great you can't even stand?"

Rukia's eyes narrowed and she forced herself to stand, baring through the pain of her injured leg. She shifted her weight onto her uninjured limb and glared at him. "Waiting for something? Why don't you go do whatever it is you do?" she remarked snidely.

Grimmjow stared at her for a moment. His nonchalant stare returned and he looked at her leg. "Yeah sure, and why don't you walk over to that table there?"

"Don't tell me what to do you idiot!"

Grimmjow grabbed her by the front of her clothing like he always seemed to do and pulled her in his direction slightly. His intention was to only make her take a step forward to prevent from stumbling. She did so, but in the process her injured leg gave out and she fell forward and onto Grimmjow. Before she could fall into him, he regained his grip on her clothing and lifted her slightly. He smirked. "Haha, how does it feel to be so feeble? How's it feel to have watched me wipe out those guys when you couldn't?"

"Let me go you asshole, I don't care about any of that."

"Heh. Hey, Starrk," Grimmjow called. When he caught the brown-haired man's attention, Starrk made his was over. "Bitch was injured. Take her to the cell or whatever." He then tossed her body as if she were weightless, and Rukia landed against Starrk. Grimmjow then walked off without a care, or seemingly so.

"That was you in the center of that brawl, am I right?" Starrk asked as he carried her in his arms. With anyone else, it might have seemed as though it was a tender and heroic gesture. But with Starrk's apathy it seemed like he was carrying a box of fragile items.

"Yeah." Rukia looked to the side, in front of where Starrk was walking.

He had a feeling the that guards purposely hadn't stepped in. Starrk had only caught the end of the fight, and by that time Grimmjow had stepped in. He stopped by a first aid center and grabbed some gauze and tape. After he arrived at Rukia's cell, he opened the barred door and walked inside, setting her against the wall. He crouched down and unrolled the gauze he had nabbed. Rukia stared at his blue-grey eyes at they focused on unwrapping the bandages. He seemed so emotionless and uncaring, yet he was going to wrap her hands (something he noticed looked crushed and bruised on the way there) which he wasn't required to. He seemed harmless and even lazy at times, but something told her he might very well have been the most dangerous person of all the guards.

"Thanks, but you don't have to." Rukia tried to translate any expression he made, but his face was void of emotion.

"Prolongs having to go back to the cafeteria," he uttered. He began wrapping her hands, in between the thumbs and index fingers and around the palm and across the back of the hand. He wrapped both hands so that it was tight but not cutting off circulation, and it hurt having the pressure more than it did without. But Rukia knew that if her bones were broken, the bandages were necessary. "Bandages won't help your leg, so I'll inform the Chairman of your injury. He'll most likely station you in the kitchen until it's recovered."

"Thank you." With that, Starrk stood up and left the cell, locking it behind him.

Rukia sat in her cell silently, not being able to help the sense of loneliness that tugged at her. The cell was colder tonight. Was darker, was quieter. It was emptier, too. And she found herself waiting on the two men who also occupied it to return.

* * *

**Author's Note:** Damn. It took forever again. I'm sorry guys x.x Anywho, here's the new chapter. I'd like to thank everyone who tells me what they think! I encourage constructive criticism. A writer that doesn't grow isn't a very good writer! Oh, and for those with an eye for detail, I changed from having Hanatarou use honorifics to American-styled addressing (i.e. Rukia-san changed to Miss Rukia). Easier on everyone, and doesn't leave me sounding like some fangirl weeaboo.

And you know, I had originally written Soifon as the one to enter when Rukia owned a bitch with the tray, but changed my mind. Just a random note. Also, I haven't proofread this because I wanted to get it up asap. If there's mechanical errors, excuse them please.

-PB


	5. Devil's Grin

**COLD INTERFACE**

_Devil's Grin_

Four months passed. Things settled down and Rukia was no longer the "new toy" and therefore got into a lot less fights. She's grown accustomed to working in The Factory, as well as living in the same cell as Ichigo and Grimmjow. The bickering continued. Ichigo and Rukia were "friends" more or less, and she trusted him as he did her. The two still bickered like children, and Rukia often had to enforce some physical punishment on the orange-haired teenager, but for the most part, there was no tension between them. It was much different with Grimmjow. He was more brazen and stubborn than Ichigo, and butted heads constantly with Rukia. He had an issue with her being there, and he made it obvious. However, there had been one night where things were different. It gave Rukia a new perspective, and she still to this day didn't know why she thought about that particular night so much.

_"Man, I'm not the least bit tired. Fuck." Grimmjow leaned back against the wall, staring at the top of the barred door._

_Rukia glanced over to Ichigo. "The same can't be said for him," she spoked, amused._

_"What a fuckin' bitch he is. Looks like a fuckin' baby sleeping as if he were some royal asshole in a castle."_

_Rukia didn't comment on the odd simile he created. She wasn't really in the mood for arguing right now. It was lonelier tonight, and thoughts of home surrounded her._

_"So what's your story," Grimmjow asked._

_"Eh? Why do you care?"_

_"I told you. I'm not fuckin' tired. I can only stare at the goddamn door for so many hours."_

_Rukia smiled slightly. "Well, I was born in Habrinnia. I don't really know what happened to my mother or father. My earliest memory was running from a man trying to steal my kimono when I was about nine."_

_"Bullshit. You can't remember anything before then? You did drugs didn't you. Doesn't surprise me, really." He held a straight face, but there was humor lit in his eyes._

_"And you?"_

_"Me what?"_

_"What about your story?" Rukia looked at him intently._

_"None of your damn business."_

_Rukia's eyes narrowed. "Could it be you're embarrassed about it?" Grimmjow said nothing, so Rukia decided to prod. "Come on, it can't be that humiliating. What is it?"_

_"It's not fucking embarrassing you stupid bitch! I couldn't give a damn about what you fuckin' think of me!" he shouted, his eyes on fire with anger and frustration - yet Rukia saw a faint light of another emotion. Before she could place her finger on it, Ichigo stirred._

_"...the hell?" the orange-haired man asked groggily._

Grimmjow was a mystery to Rukia. She was interested in his story, and she didn't want to be. She didn't want to care about the brute's past or how he got here. She just wanted to leave and go back... Go back to what? She had nothing. Rukia knew this. Sighing silently, she wondered if here was a better place for her.

It was then that she knew the thing that happened to Ichigo and Grimmjow was happening to her. She was giving up that fire - that will for escape. Nobody in here had anything to go home to, except poverty and crime. Then why did she want to escape so bad?

Why did it matter if she was stuck in here forever?

* * *

Gin Ichimaru looked out his small window and down into the main factory room from the second story. His eyes landed on Rukia, and he watched her move about. His smile only widened, and his eyes remained shut in pleasure.

"I think tomorrow I'll pay Miss Kuchiki a visit," he told the man beside him. Nnoitra looked to Gin with slanted but inquiring eyes.

* * *

"Have you noticed anything unusual going on around here?" Ichigo asked Grimmjow, hammering down on the steel sheet in front of him.

Grimmjow held two long nails in between his teeth as he pounded the one in the steel harshly. "Nope."

"Well the other day I saw Nnoitra looking over at us while we were sleeping. I'd woke up and he was just standing there, looking in. Left before I could say anything, but it was weird."

"He's a faggot fruit loop. That's not unusual ya fuckin' idiot."

Ichigo rolled his eyes and placed a nail down, holding it between his thumb and index finger firmly. "Yeah, well last night I caught him doing the same thing. And I know for a fact he wasn't on shift. And the thing is, he wasn't just blindly staring in. He was looking straight at Rukia."

"So he gets a hard-on for her. It's the first piece of female ass that's walked in here since Soifon."

Ichigo kept hammering down the nails. "Hm. Guess you're right."

* * *

Rukia went to into the restroom right next to the kitchen to wash her hands. Bending down to pick up the cloth off the floor, her eyes caught sight of an air duct. The frame was small, cracked, and the vent seemed broken beyond repair as no air came from it. It was too small for any man to fit through but... Rukia got on her hands and knees to inspect it further. She curled her right index finger around the wired cage and pulled. It came out almost instantly, and her eyes lit up in hope.

"What is taking so long," a monotonous voice came from outside. Ulquiorra - a guard with even less emotions than Starrk. And Rukia never thought that to be possible.

"N-Nothing! I'm just washing a stain out real quick!" She tried to sound cheerful and convincing.

"If you are unclothed, dress now. I'm coming in."

'Damn!' Rukia thought and hurriedly plucked the frame from the vent. She crawled in and made her way forward, adrenaline rushing through her as well as anxiety. The entire guard team would be looking for her once Ulquiorra found out she escaped and delivered the news, so she had to hurry and find an exit. Unfortunately, the vent branched off into many different directions and she had to take a wild stab in the dark. Taking a slight left, she crawled forward quietly but quickly. Making her way forward, she started to cough from the polluted air inside. The temperature was killing her as well, and if the heat didn't get her, the smell would.

Finding an opening on the bottom, she looked down to see an empty office room. It was her best chance. She kicked the vent in and dropped down to the ground on her feet and hands. Rukia stood up and hurriedly went to the door, opening it with a quick swing only to run into a tall figure. Rukia stared up with wide eyes and took in the sight of the silver-haired man.

"Hi there Rukia. How are ya?"

"Who are you?" Rukia asked and took a step back. He took this as an opening and stepped in the office, closing the door behind him.

"Pretty rude to drop inta my office like that n' demand to know who I am, ain't it?" He smiled at her with his devilish grin. "I'm Gin Ichimaru, Chariman o' this place."

"You! Why was I brought here! There is no reason someone like me should be in a place full of muscleheads!"

"I don' really think ya wanna know the answer, do ya?"

"Of course I do...! Why wouldn't I?"

Gin stepped closer to her. "Because if ya knew, I might hafta kill ya." His smile suddenly turned into a sadistic one, and Rukia froze in horror. But then he waved a hand gently. "Kidding!"

"Don't play games with me."

"Why don'tcha have a seat then?"

Rukia stared evenly at the man before taking a seat and waiting for him to walk around to the other side of his desk and do the same. The grin plastered across his face was one she never knew a human could possibly possess. Smiling at her with closed eyes, he let a small chuckle resonate in his throat. "Now then... Where ta begin?"

* * *

**Author's Note:** Dude, I need a beta. Every time I write a chapter for this, I don't have the will to look over it for mechanical errors. If anyone's interested, let me know (:

The plot appears! ...Somewhat! Err, yeah. Sorry - this chapter wasn't very well planned out. And it's small... Deal with it D:

-PB


	6. How We Got Here

**COLD INTERFACE**

_How We Got Here_

Grimmjow ran as fast as his legs would take him. He cut through the opposing wind, eyes unblinking. His aqua hair swayed, scattered in all directions. The breath bounced in and out of his lungs and he swallowed deep gulps of the polluted air, forcing it back out much too quickly to allow him to run for very much longer. His face was young, no older than 18, but it held the eyes of someone who had lived through a life of undeserved hardship.

He was falling — away from society, from himself; from everything. He'd been in deep shit before, but never like this. He had messed with the wrong people today. Normally, he wasn't one to run. No. Grimmjow Jeagerjaques was not a cowardly bitch. But even his overly-swelled pride wasn't going to allow him to stand in front of a group of seven angry men with steel bats and butterfly knives in their hands, while his own hands were empty.

'Shit, some people just can't handle the goddamn truth.'

He had called a few of them not-so-nice names, and then stole the gold chain the leader had been twirling around his plump index finger. Shit like that wasn't worth much in Raeka, which probably rivaled Habrinnia in both poverty and crime. But the gold chain would fetch him a meal, and that's all he needed to make it to the next day. Grimmjow worked for them, originally. He had worked as the fists of the shark loan industry on Raeka territory. But Grimmjow had major attitude problems, something none of them liked. They would gut him if they caught him, he knew that well. He had done that to others, during his better days.

So he ran down the streets, being chased by the same people he used to help chase other people. Adrenaline surged through his tired, food-deprived body, his energy sapped. His muscled arms were big enough to make people move from out his way before he even reached them. He didn't even glance back, though he had the urge. That urge might get him killed, even as the urge to shout back 'suck my cock, assholes' might get his existence extinguished in a hearbeat. But he refrained, because even though he was brutally strong and tended to resort to physical turmoil in most cases, he did have a brain. Grimmjow was intelligent. And his intelligence was telling him to just keep running, not to look back. They'd kill him.

And when he felt something crash into the side of his skull, he thought they had. His vision started blackening, and he knew it was the end.

'I ain't got no regrets, fuckers.'

But hours later, he awoke in a dark a dreary cell. His lidded eyes peeled open rather quickly, and that was the moment that Grimmjow Jeagerjaques had been brought back from the dead, a new man.

* * *

Blood erupted from out his throat, coming all the way from the pits of his stomach. He fell to his knees and hands, the violently exhumed blood spilling out and onto the blacktop street. Sucking in a long gust of air, the coldness of the life-giving gas stung like steel against his lungs. More violent coughs erupted from him, this time, however, no blood sputtered out onto the ground. Before he could stand back up, a foot slammed into the underside of his chin, causing his head to buck back. He stared up at the sky, and for the first time Ichigo realized it was raining. The gray-colored drops fell onto his skin, mixing in with the streaks of blood. He wasn't scared, but he was tired of going through this daily routine. Kids his age — sometime even adults well over twice his age — liked to pick fights with him above all others because of his orange hair. In a one on one, Ichigo would take the idiot down no problem. Hell, he usually whooped groups of three or four at a time. But when he was surrounded by ten...?

'Heh, just means I have more bodies slam into the ground.'

The sudden thrill of defiance sent the burst of needed adrenaline through his body.

He took a moment to regain his senses and blinked the rain from his eyes. The men around him were cooing and hollering for him to pass out or cry. Ichigo lowered his head and stared evenly at the men in front of him — that look in his eyes was enough to scare pit bulls away, and the men before him couldn't deny the shiver they felt run through their spines.

"C'mon, don't tell me that even ten of you guys can't make one of me go unconscious." He smirked slightly, and when he saw the anger ignite in their dumb faces, he jumped up and lurched forward, swinging his leg around and feeling it crash into the side of someone's jaw. He threw another punch toward the stomach of the shortest guy there, but immediately after his short-lived victory, he felt a punch to the back of his neck. He whipped around, caressing the forming bruise as his eyes searched for any weakness. He moved to the side as a foot came from behind him, aimed for his side. He grabbed the leg mid-air and tugged upwards violently, sending the man spinning in a 180 until his face smashed into the ground. Ichigo ducked under a flying fist and smashed his foot into someone's face, sending them back.

"Augh!"

He felt a metal bar slam into his spine repeatedly, and once again he was on his knees. Ichigo was disorientated from the pain as well as the spine injury, but he could faintly make out the 'finish the bastard!' remark from someone in the distance. He knew that in any moment, that bar would collide with his head, and if that didn't kill him on impact, the blood-loss would. He wasn't trying to give up — no, that wasn't Ichigo Kurosaki's style. But he couldn't move, speak, and sure as hell couldn't see _anything_. The next thing he felt was the ground hitting his face (or rather, his face hitting the ground) as he fell upon it. This was the end? It couldn't be. 'Mom... I couldn't even do the one thing you asked me to do... I couldn't find any one to protect... In the end, all I could protect was myself... and I didn't even do that right.'

His eyes shot open and he was instantly aware of his surroundings — somewhat. He knew by just looking around and by all the stories he'd heard... This was The Factory, right? He'd been kidnapped and taken here. He looked over and saw someone staring at him. The first thing that stood out was his vibrant blue hair, and Ichigo could relate. Maybe he'd been targeted all his life because of the odd hair color? He tossed the thought aside, not really caring.

"Hey."

Grimmjow said nothing.

"Hey, I'm talking to you."

"And? The fuck you think you are?"

And then it started.

* * *

Rukia awaited somewhat anxiously. She felt as if she wanted to vomit, her insides twisting in both fear and hatred. She detested this man without even knowing him. He was sick and demented, she knew. A fox in all ways but form. He was a liar, a sly villain, one who liked causing deep-rooted pain — not the cheap, superficial kind. But he held information she wanted, and she was going to listen to every last bit of it even if it killed her to endure staring at that closed-eyed man.

"Do you know why Japan is in the state it is? No? It's because the Emperor was killed, along with the Empress and Crown Prince. The entire royal family was murdered. You're young, so ya don't really remember much do ya? No. But you also don't remember much 'bout your parents, do ya?"

Rukia shook her head slowly.

"Well, long story short, your mother was a descendant of the royal family lineage. And since she was killed, that leaves you as the heiress to the nonexistent throne. Now, it doesn't really matter much since Japan is in a complete state o' chaos. But once we heard that a group of radicals were trying to resurrect the Japanese kingdom by finding the last Kuchiki, we decided to beat them to it." Gin folded his hands in his sleeves, smile unwavering. "I haven't decided if I want to kill you or keep you. You may prove to be an asset if Japan starts to unify — surely, having hold of the only remaining family member of the Kuchiki dynasty...would give us even more power, ne?"

Rukia tried taking it all in. It had to be a lie. The story was so incredulous that no matter what, she couldn't believe it. He was pulling her leg, and quite frankly she was annoyed by it all. "How do you expect me to believe that?" she spat out venomously.

"Why do you think you didn't take your father's name, hm? A Kuchiki's name shall never be tainted by some...commoner, as it is now." He leaned forward slightly. "As o' right now, we're sticking ya in here until we can decided how useful y'are. "So how about it, _Princess_? Are you satisfied?"

She said nothing, averting her gaze and grinding her teeth bitterly.

Gin chuckled lightly. "Take her to her cell, Szayel, would ya?"

* * *

Rukia sat in her cell, staring into space. She was so confused, so damn confused.

Grimmjow entered, Ichigo not at his side surprisingly. He sat down next to her. "What's got you looking so much uglier than usual?"

She turned away from him so he couldn't see the tears swelling in her eyes. "Nothing."

Grimmjow's face was blank of emotion, and he stared out the barred door for a moment. "You're not alone, kid. We all get that feeling. Every single person that comes here. We all think we're alone. but the weird thing is — we're all alone together. So don't look so fucking down. It pisses me off."

Rukia glanced over and up to him, staring at his face as he looked out the door and not at her, as though he was refusing to admit that he held some trace of sympathy to her. She smiled softly. "I guess you're right about that." She paused and glanced down, trying to force back the burning tears into their sockets. She wouldn't let them fall. "But I know you feel lonely sometimes."

Grimmjow averted his eyes nonchalantly down to her bowed head. "Tch." And they both knew. They both knew the pain each other felt, and it was at that moment that they both felt a connection — as if time itself had warranted them a break from reality and connected their souls just briefly to get a taste of one another's.

But it was over within an instant, and nothing else was said.

* * *

"Uh, hey boss... Why did you tell her all that? None of that's true, right?"

Gin smiled at the questioner. "Of course it's not true."

"Then why...?"

"If she thinks that she's part o' the family that her real family assassinated...well, she'll feel awfully special, won't she?"

"Yeah but... Her mother's the reason why Japan is the way it is. If anyone knew she was here, they would attempt a mass infiltration and cut her head off."

"That's precisely why this isn't gettin' out, now is it?" He smiled wider. "Your confusion is ta be expected. Jus' be patient an' wait for the grand finale."

"Hn. Yeah."

* * *

**Author's Note:** Decided to take a break from the main plot and give a tiny bit of back story on Ichigo and Grimmjow, mainly as to how they came to be in The Factory. But then added in more plot-ish stuff. Thanks to Lady Foxtrot for beta-ing.

— PB


	7. A New Enemy's Provocation

**COLD INTERFACE**

_A New Enemy's Provocation_

"Listen girl... If you don't pick it up, I'm going to strap you down to a pole and leave you there."

Rukia held a box so large her head was concealed, her movements concentrated as she carried it slowly in her arms. "Shut up, idiot." She wasn't the type to blame her sub-par work performance on the fact she weighed under a hundred pounds and stood just below five feet. She sure as hell wouldn't blame it on the fact she was a girl. "And stop calling me girl like I'm some child. I'm only a few years younger than you."

"Your chest begs to differ," Grimmjow grunted as he walked behind her impatiently with three similarly-sized boxes in his arms, each stacked on one another.

Rukia stopped abruptly, her eye twitching in irritation. The sudden halt caused Grimmjow to walk into her, the force causing the boxes to fall. A rumbling of hard contents inside the box sounded as they hit the floor, along with a few metallic clangs. After all the commotion, Grimmjow kicked a box off him and rubbed his head with a growl. Rukia and Grimmjow, along with a handful of other workers, were stationed in the cold and dank warehouse that evening. The warehouse itself was huge, rivaling The Factory's headquarters in size. To get to the warehouse, the seven or eight workers had to be blindfolded on the journey and escorted by a mass of guards. Only two guards remained, though, standing post at the only exit.

"Are you fuckin' stupid?" Grimmjow bit out, rolling over on his side and wiping the dirt from his face as he watched Rukia prop herself on her elbow and wince in pain.

She furrowed her eyebrows and delivered a kick to his shin. He seethed and reached down, grabbing her ankle before she could jerk her leg back. This caused her to squirm and deal skillful blows to his face and chest. He released her ankle and caught both of her hands in his own fists, smirking at her as her eyes widened slightly. "You're wea—uhn! Bitch!" He felt a kick to his stomach and released her hands.

"I'm sorry, what was that? Who's weak?" she asked him haughtily. Before she could raise herself from the floor, she felt a force come over her body suddenly. Her arrogance was overshadowed by Grimmjow's ego, which was far larger and more well-groomed than her own. She raised her knee up and hit him square in the ribcage, but she suddenly came to the realization that it was only her legs doing the squirming. She glanced up and back a little, seeing the teal-haired man's muscled arms stretching back behind her as they pinned her arms to the cold ground. He hovered over her with knees on either side of her waist. This wasn't the most disturbing recognizable aspect in this situation, however. The most noticeable, and notably intimidating, was the large and wild grin plastered across the man's face. His wild eyes matched the smile perfectly, and her own pupils contracted slightly, her heart skipping a beat.

"You're too cocky for a girl with the body of a twelve-year-old. You think you're stronger than me? Go ahead. Escape. If you're so strong, it shouldn't be any problem right?" His sadistic eyes shook with his laughter as he watched her shoot him a look of disgust. Rukia moved her legs around, but she found that kneeing him, even in the groin, was close to impossible. His own body was too close to her waist and the only thing her knee could reach was his ass. She doubted kicking him straight in the butt would hurt him much, given the lack of velocity that she could attain. She tried to retain her cool though. And she would be proud to say that she was doing well until he moved in closer.

"Let me give you a piece of advice, " he said lowly as he lowered his face to directly above her own, only inches separating them. "It's good to have attitude in here. Hell, it might save you from some of the weaker faggots from raping the fuck out of you. But a lot of people see right through you. And even if they don't, it only gives them a challenge."

"I don't need advice from the likes of you," she spit bitterly. Her face remained hard and unflinching even as his smile faded and his eyes dulled into that scarily apathetic look he always reflected.

"I don't know why they brought you here. But if you don't take the advice I give you, you're as good as dead."

Rukia turned her head to the side, not wanting to look at him. "So what do you propose, giver of infallible wisdom? You want me to curtsy and bat my lashes at everyone?"

"Don't be a fuckin' smart ass. Just stop attracting so much goddamn attention. A lot of people have backed off you already, haven't they? Ever since Kurosaki's been acting as your stupid little body guard- you've noticed, haven't you? It's only the guards who fuck with you still." Namely Sir Faggot Nnoitra, Grimmjow mentally noted.

Rukia knew this was the case. She also knew that it was not only Ichigo they were scared of, but Grimmjow too. Although, to say the men were scared was a bit of an overstatement. They just preferred not to mess with the explosive duo. Rukia didn't mention the fact that if Grimmjow and Ichigo were both absent from her vicinity, they did mess with her. But she could handle her own, and felt it unnecessary to complain. "Why do you care? You hate me, right? You're always boasting about how much you'd love to kill me or see me die, and yet here you are, Almighty Grimmjow, giving me advice on how to survive."

Grimmjow's eyebrows rose slightly, but only for a moment. He grunted and got off her, standing up and spitting to the side. "I'm only giving you advice because if you died, Kurosaki would sulk and brood and I'd have to deal with his goddamn emo face the whole time."

Rukia smirked slightly and stood up. She brushed herself off and picked up the box she'd dropped. "You think you can see through me, Grimmjow Jeagerjaques, but you're the one who's completely transparent."

* * *

Ichigo sat at the open lunch table, his permanent scowl still eminent. He stuffed the lukewarm rice in his mouth and chewed silently, scraping his fork against the tray and moving the carrots around. A lot was on his mind as of late, and he couldn't help but stared off into space and ignore the loud bustling movement and chatter throughout the cafeteria.

"Those carrots are mighty intense, eh?"

The carrot topped teenager glanced up to see a man sitting on the opposite side of the table in front of him. It was a new face, and definitely not something he'd ever associated with before. "Can I help you with something?" Ichigo's voice held a certain level of politeness, with a tint of dark hues and a tinge of cynicism at the unwelcome, and unexpected, approach.

"I'm kinda new here and didn't know anybody. My name's Rujiro. Thought maybe we could be friends. What do you say?"

Ichigo stared at the man. He appeared to be in his late teens. His voice was husky and ragged, his eyes hazel and piercing. He had short blonde hair, a broad but handsome face, and was about the same height as Ichigo, with a matching build of skinny and muscular at the same time. He looked mysterious in that it was easy to interpret his appearance as evil or angelic. His eyes bore bags underneath them, and there was a funny glaze over his irises. But his smile was warm and friendly, not seeming in the least bit forced. "Sure. I'm Ichigo Kurosaki."

"So no girls here, eh? Aw man, I'm gonna die a virgin just like Mom said."

Ichigo eyed him with a hesitant expression, not knowing how to respond. "Uhh, yeah." Ichigo wasn't really one to talk girls, let alone sex.

The man stuffed a big slab of pork chop into his mouth, groaning in depression. "So it's true, then? There really _are_no girls here?"

"There's two, actually." Ichigo finished off his rice and chugged down some water, his tones slightly clipped.

"Yeah? Tell me about 'em! Are they hot? Smokin' bodies? What are their cup sizes?"

Ichigo's eyebrow twitched in irritation. "Idiot, don't ask me those kinds of questions!"

Standing up, the two men walked over and put their empty trays on the counter where Hanatarou was busy washing them. "So what—"

"Attention, a_ll workers, report to your cell. Attention. All workers report to your cells. The Factory will undergo a lock down. This is not a drill. I repeat . . ._"

Ichigo and Rujiro stared up at the loudspeaker and then each other. What the hell was going on?

* * *

"Tell us what we want to know! Stop playing fucking innocent!"

Rukia sat next to Grimmjow on a chair. Both of their wrists were bound behind their respective chair as several guards surrounded them. Blood dribbled from the corner of Rukia's lip, her head lolled to the side as she sat unconscious. Grimmjow's eyes were dull and emotionless, his face marred with dried blood and fresh bruises. There was a taste of metal in his mouth, and he could feel throbbing pain all over his body. The situation had drastically changed so quickly that he had trouble figuring out exactly what happened. They were still in the warehouse, he knew. He glanced over to the unconscious Rukia. She'd went out like a light when the last guy punched her.

"Hey, wake her up. Throw some water on her," one of the guards commanded.

Another nodded in understanding and lifted a bucket. He threw his arms forward, fingers curled around the brim of the tin bucket. Water splashed into Rukia's face, drenching her hair and upper clothing. She gasped deeply, inhaling some water, and her eyes shot open. Taking a moment to calm her breath, she said nothing. The guard who'd commanded she be awaken, a lanky and pointy-nosed man, stepped closer to her. He curled his fingers into her hair and yanked back, jerking her head up so her eyes focused on him. "What. Is. The. Infiltration. Unit's. Name." He spoke with chopped words, trying to emphasize the severity of how much the answer was needed.

"I. Don't. Know." Rukia, despite knowing talking back would get her injured, kept going. She hated being helpless, and it was the only defiance that she could manage in this position. The man slapped her fiercely across the cheek, turning her head. He grabbed her by the throat, his hand becoming moist as the water from her hair dripped on to him.

"If being slapped around won't make you talk, perhaps we can get a bit more persuasive." He let go of her throat and started unzipping his pants, ignoring the look of fright on Rukia's face once she realized what he was insinuating.

"Gonna show us your tiny dick? Might make the other guards lose respect for you, you know," Grimmjow said through a grin. He didn't have panic in his voice, so the guard didn't catch on to the fact that it was to distract him from Rukia. It worked, nonetheless.

"Shut up, bitch. You're in no position to talk." The guard went over to him and looked down. He raised his knee and delivered a kick to his chest, which tipped the chair over backwards. Grimmjow hit the ground with a loud thud, but didn't sustain any serious injuries. The only pain caused was in his arms, crushed under the weight of him and the chair. The guard stepped over him and looked down. "Tell us the name of the group that's infiltrating this organization. If you tell us now, we won't kill you."

Rukia wiggled her wrists around, trying to loosen the restraints. It was nylon, so it was tight and thin. She knew she couldn't break it, but she could maybe slip free. Grimmjow had successfully distracted the lead guard, and while the others were mostly focused on those two, there were still one or two guards with their eyes locked on her. She had to be discrete. Her face remained stoic as she slowly slipped her right hand out of the rope. She was becoming extremely worried as the sounds of grunts and punches and crunches sounded from the corner where Grimmjow was getting beat up. She had to make a move and fast.

"Hey, what're you doing?" The guard in front of her leaned to the side to peer around to see her freed wrists.

Rukia jumped up and kicked him straight in the groin. She then jolted to the side and jumped on the back of the man attacking Grimmjow. Wrapping her arms around the front of his neck, she reeled back in attempt to choke him and simultaneously make him lose his footing. Rukia quickly allowed her legs to go slack, dragging the guard down further with her dead weight.

Grimmjow stared up and watched as the guard struggled with Rukia. This wasn't good. Wasn't fucking good at all. Playing the hero was the dumbest fucking move she could've made. She'd get killed for that move...or worse. He tried pulling against the nylon around his wrists, but it wasn't budging.

"Fuckin' bitch! Ghck!" He was having trouble breathing, and the guards were having trouble pulling her off without choking their superior or crushing his windpipe. The lead guard swung around and slammed back into the wall. Rukia's head collided harshly with it, but she kept her hold around his neck. After a few more moments of struggling, he finally pried her arms from his throat and flung her over him. She landed on her stomach. As she struggled to get up, he stomped on her back and crushed her to the ground. "Last chance, cunt. We know you know who it is? Give us the information."

"Nn. Even if I did know, I'd never tell you." Her eyes widened and she screamed slightly as she felt her clothing ripped from her body. She felt weight on top of her, a hand on the back of her head, keeping her face pressed to the ground. The sensation of being blind and defenseless made her body go cold.

"Just what are you doing?" a new voice called. The guard turned his head over his shoulder to look at the new occupant of the room.

* * *

**Author's Note:** If you're confused of what happened with Grimmjow and Rukia, I left a part out as to why/how they're in the room on purpose. Thanks to Lady Foxtrot for beta-ing. Thanks for all the support and comments!

— PB


	8. Wake

**COLD INTERFACE**

_Wake_

Time was frozen. The room was cold and unmoving. All life was stopped, and for a moment, Grimmjow wondered if this was the transitional period between life and death. Maybe someone shot him and he didn't even see it coming. Maybe he bled out from a wound he was unaware of, pain masked heavily by the coursing adrenaline inside him. But he could hear his shallow breaths, could feel his lungs working hard to pump air in and out of his body. Perhaps he was still alive, and it was everyone around him who was dead.

His senses swirled into his body simultaneously, and reality started up again. His view was blocked by his legs as they were resting on his upturned chair. He leaned up as much as his wrist restraints would allow him and looked over his chair to see the scene unfold before his very eyes. The first thing: shock. The second: confusion. The third: anger.

As if a gust of newfound strength and a burst of life entered him, he snapped free of the nylon and jumped up from the floor. The chair remained abandoned behind him, and he found his hands around a pasty white neck. Squeezing. Clenching. Squeezing.

"You sick _fuck_." Grimmjow let out a guttural growl, but was soon pulled back by a white-uniformed man. The arms restraining him didn't seem to have malicious intent, but kept him in his place nonetheless. Meanwhile, Grimmjow bared his teeth at the brown-haired man before him.

The man ignored the fact his throat had been nearly crushed in, blowing over it like it hadn't even cut off a breath. He kept hold on the collar of Rukia, her knees on the floor while her head slumped forward unconsciously. He raised her up by the back of her collar a few inches, emphasizing her slumbering state. Her life was literally in his hands, and he smiled a smug and small grin toward Grimmjow. "Should you be jumping to such hasty conclusions? I was the one who saved her."

Rukia, unconscious, had pieces of clothing missing, some in places that didn't matter, others revealing too much for comfort. It was a surprise that her collar wasn't snapping from the weight of her body. Grimmjow's eyes didn't stay on her, however, and instead trained in on the man. The teal-haired man's eyes were wild and animalistic, but questioning all the same.

"It's been some time, hasn't it? Then again, someone with your mental capacity probably has no real sense of time. Four years is nine to you, a week is two months. You can lose your hold on things like that in here, I know."

"Aizen." Grimmjow Jeagerjaques's voice was still reproachful.

"Perhaps we could keep this whole incident quiet. I wouldn't want others to start questioning authority. Would you?" The man named Aizen's smile had long since faded, but a tint of smugness was still evident in the gleam of his eyes.

"What're you doing? You're obviously not the heroic vigilante in all this."

Aizen took a step forward and flung Rukia to the ground. Grimmjow made no move to catch her, even if the previous restrainer had let go of him. The two stared evenly at each other, Aizen's look more amusing, Grimmjow's more deathly.

"I also wouldn't tell Rukia about this either. If she remembers, she remembers. But pushing the matter onto her might be more harmful than you'd think." He turned to leave, stopping at the door only briefly. "But it's just a suggestion. I could care less about her mental state." With that, he and his follower were gone.

Grimmjow finally took in his surrounding and saw several guards discarded carelessly on the floor, most unconscious, but some surely dead. He brought his hands to his head, slipping his fingers into his blue locks. Pulling. He clasped his fingers around the strands tightly, wrenching and yanking as he let out a loud growl that evolved into a stomach-aching yell. It took a few moment to calm down, steady his breathing, and release his death grip on his hair. After he regained what sanity he had left, his eyes shifted somewhat angrily down to Rukia. Bending down, he slipped an arm under her stomach and hauled her up onto his shoulder, her legs over his front while her hands and head hung lifelessly over his back.

He walked down halls, turned corners, went through passageways, until he finally knew where he was. He was in the throat of the warehouse, and continued toward the mouth where the stationed guards stood their ground.

"We snuck food into the warehouse and were caught."

The guards seem to find that a reasonable explanation as to why they were marred with wounds, and furthermore why Rukia was unconscious. He didn't plan on explaining how the team of guards now lie dead and unconscious on the floor back there. He'd come up with something, if it ever came back to him. Though he was sure the whole thing would be covered up mysteriously. The guards prepared to escort them back.

* * *

Rukia's eyes slipped open a millimeter, finally fluttering open completely after adjusting to the light. Confusion swelled inside her before she turned her head to the side and saw a familiar face.

"Oh! Miss Rukia! How are you feeling? Do you need anything?" Hanatarou was tending to her IV as he looked to her with a concerned yet happy face.

"Ah... No, thank you." She glanced around. "Where am I?"

"You're in the medical wing right now. We usually don't use it for workers, but I was told to tend to you here while you recovered from your injuries." Hanatarou came over to her and couldn't help but ask. "Um, what happened? I-I mean, if you don't mind my asking."

The raven-haired girl closed her eyes solemnly before snapping them open again. "What about Grimmjow?"

"Ah, he's fine. Another worker cleaned and wrapped his wounds. His injuries weren't as serious, so he wasn't allowed into the medical wing."

"How long have I been out?" Her mind was starting to clear, and glimpses of what happened started blotching into her memory.

"About a day. You were brought here yesterday evening. It's 6:00 PM now."

"When can I go?"

Hanatarou looked doubtful at her, but responded as best as he could. "W-well, if you can walk, you'll be cleared... W-wait Miss Rukia!" He scurried over to the other side of the bed as she swung her legs over the edge and prepared to stand. He hovered around her like a worried mother, arms out in a semi-circle around her to catch her if she fell.

Rukia found it painful, more than she thought it would, but was able to walk on unsteady feet. She wanted to talk to Grimmjow, and knew staying in the hospital would only drive her insane.

* * *

"Rukia!" Ichigo's eyes were lively, and he jumped to a stand immediately when he saw her approach the bars, escorted by a guard. He'd been sleeping only a few minutes ago but had awoken for no apparent reason. As she entered the cell, he did a minimal assessment of her damage, knowing that if she was released from the medical wing that she wasn't really in danger.

Rukia noticed Grimmjow wasn't present in their cell and deflated slightly. She turned to Ichigo with a short and somewhat lifeless greeting, still tired even though she'd slept for 24 hours. After she sat down, Ichigo sat against the adjacent wall so they could look at each other. He wasn't really good at expressing concern, but he was able to break the ice. "So how're you feelin'?"

"Better. Not nearly as bad as I thought I'd be." That was a lie, because truth be told, she had underestimated her injuries severely.

"What happened? I wasn't filled in on much. And Grimmjow wasn't in the best of moods." Shocker, really.

Rukia's eyebrows drew together as if she herself didn't even know the answer. What _did_ happen? She remembered being brought to a room with Grimmjow and being tied to a chair. They beat them, trying to get information on a supposed infiltration. It was the first she'd heard of it. "I guess they think someone infiltrated this place, and for some reason Grimmjow and I knew about it."

Ichigo was silent for a moment, mulling over what she said. Everything seemed a little too suspicious. Ichigo questioned the fact that Rukia and Grimmjow were put to work in the warehouse together, leaving him here in the first place. It wasn't unusual for Grimmjow and Ichigo to work together, but why those two? Wouldn't Ichigo have been included in the list of people who might know something, if Rukia and Grimmjow were? Rukia had only arrived a few months earlier, and Ichigo was pretty sure Grimmjow had absolutely no connections to Rukia beforehand. Why were they secluded like that? And what gave the guards reason to think those two knew something? It had to have been an order from a higher up. Ichigo couldn't help but feel that he was beginning to unravel the edge of a very intricate, grand scheme that was bigger than he was. And somehow Rukia fit into it. Was Grimmjow just a diversion from suspicion? Or...was he in it, too? Ichigo felt an emotion he wasn't sure of - jealousy? Of what? Not being part of the group? Of Grimmjow? No. That was insane.

"Ichigo... I want you to help me with something."

"Eh? With what?" His curiosity was peaked.

"Whoever has brought me here, whether it's Gin or some other person, it's not to work here." She turned her eyes to him. "I want to test just how valuable I really am."

Ichigo instantly had a bad feeling about this. "What do you mean...?"

She smiled tiredly at him. "How good are you at acting?"

* * *

**Author's Note:** This chapter may have a few mechanical errors. I'm too impatient to send it to my beta first lol. I'll switch it with the revised version once Lady Foxtrot betas it. Thanks to everyone! Also, not too much activity in this chapter. It's more of a filler one, but does have meaning. Hope it didn't bore you too much.

— PB


	9. Goodbye

**COLD INTERFACE**

_Goodbye_

Ichigo raked his fingers through his scruffy orange hair. Bags hung under his eyes, and he stared incredulously at Rukia. "I can't believe I'm doing this. We're all dead, you know. After this."

Rukia wrung her short hair out as best she could. She'd just returned from the shower room (which she was grateful was cleared out for her and Soifon every morning at 7:15). Her clothes were wet too from just having washed them in the shower with her. Normally, she only washed her tattered kimono every few days and usually bathed every day. She made sure to clean up especially well this morning for the presentation about to come. Ichigo had just woken up, skipping his morning shower since he hadn't been able to sleep well. "Yep."

"_Yep_? That's all you have to say? You're dragging me into this and aren't even sympathetic about it!" he yelled at her in irritation.

Rukia stopped drying her hair and turned to him in their cell. She huffed out girlishly and then batted her eyelashes. "Oh, Ichigo! I am so sorry! Do you need a hug to heal your aching heart? Come. Come into my arms." She opened her arms dramatically.

Ichigo scoffed, which made Rukia drop her sarcastic act and narrow her eyes. "You don't have to help me. I can do it on my own. No one's forcing you."

Ichigo looked away casually and stuffed a hand in the pocket of his old khaki pants. "Yeah, well, if I left you alone you'd end up worse than dead. You somehow manage to find every spec labeled 'trouble.'"

She paid no mind to the insulting tone he used and carried on like nothing. "That's exactly why we're doing this. There's a reason I'm here, and it's not for my raging biceps of steel." While Rukia was impressively strong for her gender and size, she still didn't hold the manpower most captured factory workers did. She thought herself originally to be like Soifon, but the comparison was nullified as soon as Rukia saw Soifon working in the main room. She was probably tougher than most men here.

Ichigo knew Rukia didn't belong here. He knew Grimmjow knew it too. And while Ichigo could play the nonchalant and easily irritable card any time his opinion on the matter was needed, he didn't this time. He let his curiosity go. "So, your brilliant plan is to endanger your life and see how the higher ups react." She nodded. "And if something goes wrong?"

"No plan is perfect, Ichigo. But I'd rather die from a plan going awry than from old age in this stupid place." Ichigo was visibly worried, at least for someone like him. His scowl was a little lighter and his pupils were dilated slightly. "Come on. It'll be fine. Just do what I told you." After discovering his acting skills were terrible, he had a small job - keeping everyone at bay for a few minutes.

* * *

Grimmjow hefted a metal crate onto a conveyor belt and plucked out a chipped strip of steel. Tossing it into the bin beside him, he lifted another crate up and set it on the table adjacent to the conveyor. Sifting through the scraps of coils and metals, he felt a stinging sensation cut across his hand. _Mother fucker_ were the words that crossed his mind as he lifted his right hand out of the box and watched the blood stream down the side of his palm.

"Awe, did someone get a boo-boo?" a man cooed from another station. Laughter of others followed.

"Shut the fuck up," Grimmjow seethed and wiped it on his grey cotton pants. He, like most of the other men, was shirtless due to how hot the main room got from all the activity.

"Get it wrapped." Stark stood at the end of the station, staring boredly. "You'll just get blood all over the rest of the metal."

Slamming down a hunk of iron, Grimmjow stormed off toward the oh-so-sanitary restroom. Washing his hand under the faucet of light brown water, he then bent down and slid out the cart of medical supplies from under the sink. Workers weren't allowed to use the medical wing except for extreme cases, so the bathrooms were stocked with supplies and first aid kits. Wrapping his hand in gauze, he thought about how Rukia's hands had been wrapped a few months back. He never asked what happened, not wanting to show signs of caring.

As the blue-haired man walked out of the restroom, a smaller figure crashed into him. Grimmjow's step didn't falter, but the smaller form fell to the ground.

Hanatarou stared up in fear, but not of Grimmjow.

"Outta my way kid." Grimmjow made to move, but Hanatarou stopped him.

"No!" He jumped up and put his hands up. "I-It's Rukia!"

Grimmjow's eyebrows drew together in confusion. Hanatarou was panicking and it set a funny feeling inside of Grimmjow that he couldn't quite name. It was an anxious and stomach-churning feeling. "What about her?" He tried hiding any signs of anxiety from his voice, which was laced with a harsh tone and gruffness.

"Sh-She's starting up a commotion in the main room! They'll kill her!" Hanatarou's eyes were pleading and starved of moisture. His voice was frantic and rushed.

"Damn it," Grimmjow retorted and pushed past the black-haired boy. He raced down the hall and burst into the main room, only to be met by a crowd of musty workers shouting in both anger and praise. He shoved his way in between everyone, and when he finally reached the center, he saw what everyone was crowded around.

Rukia stood on a pyramid of blue crates, gripping a plastic funnel used for pouring melted metal scraps into bins. Her hair was clean of dirt and had grown since she first came here. It reached to her small breasts, framing her neck and face. Her kimono was knee-length from tears and was a purplish color with a brown hue of stains. Her face was fierce and unwavering as she lifted the cone to her lips.

"Why are we all still here? We outnumber them! There are more than five workers to a guard! We need to retaliate and break free from this hellhole! We are not prisoners!"

Grimmjow's eyes were wide. He didn't know what to think. Initially, he was shocked at what she was doing. And then, he felt pity for her, for how much she wanted to escape from this place. And then? Anger. She was going to get her neck snapped. He already saw guards trying to push their ways through the crowds. They had a more difficult time than Grimmjow did, because apparently everyone wanted to hear what Rukia had to say before she was killed. But what was most unusual was Ichigo.

Ichigo stood on the ground in front of the crates, wielding a steel bar as a weapon to fend off anyone who got too close. He was protecting Rukia.

Grimmjow stepped into the small circular clearing Ichigo maintained. Rukia had about a three foot radius of space before the horde of workers began. Ichigo eyed him carefully, warning him not to stop her but wavering from knowing how close they were. Ichigo and Grimmjow were something akin to best friends, and Ichigo wouldn't harm him over this. Or would he? Did Kurosaki have the balls to go that far? Hell, Grimmjow never expected Ichigo to even get involved in such a political ploy. "Why are you letting her do this?" Grimmjow seethed.

"It's time we do something." Ichigo kept his eye on the crowd, but averted his eyes to Grimmjow every few seconds. "She's right. It'd be better to die trying to escape from this place rather than from simply dying in here." Breathing a sigh, he gave Grimmjow one final look. "I don't think she even realizes that this will really start a revolution. This is just an act to her, to see why they want her here. But it's bigger than that."

Grimmjow stared at Ichigo angrily. What he said wasn't entirely insane. Grimmjow would rather die as a rebel than as a worker. But Ichigo wasn't assessing the immediate danger in all of this. Whether a so-called revolution started or not, Rukia would be gutted for this outrage. There would be no forgiving, and they would target her since she so blindly took a leadership role. If she wasn't killed right now, she would be hunted for the rest of her life. Rukia's voice cut into his thoughts, and he had no time to react or even try to stop what she was saying next.

"It's time to break free. Right now." She lowered the funnel and looked around the now-silent room. A lot of the people in here either wanted to fuck her brains out because they hadn't had a piece of ass in years, or they wanted her dead because they thought she got in the way. But now, at this very moment, they all looked to her as a voice of reason. Rukia, meanwhile, thought this was all laughable. She wasn't taking it seriously. Her goal was to be taken away by guards and see what they did. It was to find out her connection. But it most certainly wasn't to start the riot that was steadily brewing. "Is there a guard next to you? Look around! If you see a guard, restrain him!"

Grimmjow jumped up onto the crate, too fast for Ichigo to even react, and grabbed Rukia by the arm harshly. "Stop, you fucking idi-!" Grimmjow's mind blanched. Something was wrong. Everything was frozen again. No one spoke. He turned around, all too aware of the sound of his shallow breathing. In a room of black and white, he saw Nnoitra holding up a gun, poised straight at Rukia. A devilish smile played across his face. Slamming his body into Rukia, time resumed. The gun sounded, missing Rukia as she and Grimmjow fell to the ground. More gunshots followed. Riot control had finally started.

Rukia shook from her daze of being crushed by Grimmjow, and the two jumped up, already on alert. The crowd was in a frenzy. Some were excited and hooting, some were confused and lost, while others were frightened and yelping. Rukia heard Grimmjow curse under his breath.

"We're going!" He yanked Rukia by the arm, dragging her as he met up with Ichigo.

"We've gotta leave." Ichigo still held the metal pipe.

"Yeah. Any ideas?" Grimmjow flinched as another shot fired into the air.

Rukia watched as a worker she'd never seen crumpled to the ground. Her eyes widened in hysteria as blood pooled around him.

"Let's go!" Grimmjow jerked Rukia, and the three were off

Rukia was still taking in the death she'd just seen. It wasn't the fact someone died that affected her. It was the fact that it was her fault. A silly little play she'd put on was now causing countless people to be shot in cold blood. Her heart throbbed with ache, and she felt a cramping pain in her thigh as she was forced to keep pace with Ichigo and Grimmjow. They wound through the crowd of crazed workers. The room was in utter chaos. One of the only exits in the building came into view. Rukia felt butterflies in her stomach. Were they finally escaping? The door just kept coming closer and closer. So close. So close. Close. Almost. So close.

Finally, Rukia would be free. She, Grimmjow, and Ichigo would be free again. They would have the shackles of the The Factory finally lifted, and their trio could actually _live_.

Grimmjow and Rukia pushed out the door as another gunshot was made. Rukia turned around reflexively and watched as Ichigo stood in place, staring down at his stomach. Blood seeped out of the wound on his bare torso. He was stunned for a moment, and so was Rukia.

Two guards came behind Ichigo and wrapped their arms around him, pulling him back.

"Ichigo!" Rukia cried and started to run back toward the inside of the building to retrieve him.

"No! We have to go!" Grimmjow growled. He looped his arm around the front of her waist and yanked her back.

"No! No! Ichigo!" She watched as he was dragged back. He stared at her with a lazy smile, eyebrows relaxed in a mixture of empathy and resignation. He moved his lips. _Don't worry_.

The doors were shut in front of Ichigo once he was pulled inside, and by now, Grimmjow had hauled Rukia so far away that it would be impossible to have heard him even with a bat's ear. Tears welled up in her eyes as she thought back on what Ichigo told her earlier.

_"We're all dead, you know. After this."_

* * *

**Author's Note:** The plot actually _went_ somewhere? No way!

— PB


	10. Cerulean

**COLD INTERFACE**

_Cerulean_

"You done being an emotional psycho yet?" Grimmjow huffed in annoyance. He was walking steadily now, eyes set straight ahead with complete apathy marred along his features. The only thing that relayed his aggravation was the sharp hostility laced in his voice. Over his right shoulder was Rukia. Her legs were resting against his chest, her upper body dangling over his backside. He had one hand over the small of her back to steady her. She'd previously been kicking and screaming, but she seemed to have tired herself out by now.

Rukia was too exhausted to care how uncomfortable being carried like that felt. She stared at the heels of Grimmjow, watching with a dead expression as they took each step. Rukia had never experienced losing someone. She had never had any personal relationships or bonds in Habrinnia. Ichigo and Grimmjow were her first friends. So used to a life of self-reliance and loneliness, The Factory had been a gigantic shift for her. She adapted better than most, but only to the environment. Seeing Ichigo's light-hearted expression as he was dragged away made her feel sick inside.

Her stomach recoiled into itself when she pictures the red blood seeping out of his bullet wound and trailing down his abdomen. It had been such a stupid idea. And not only had Ichigo been shot, but others had taken hits as well. She assumed The Factory would be on even stricter lock down than usual due to her and Grimmjow's escape. What about Hanatarou? He was her friend too. He was kind and sweet, possessing the purest heart she'd ever met in her life. Would they beat him—kill him—just for affiliating with her?

Grimmjow stopped walking once he realized she had no intention of replying to him. The situation sucked. He was _not_ the comforting type, and he damn sure wasn't about to try to be one. The blue-haired man was used to death. It had swallowed him for the first half of his life and spit him back out for the second. The loss of Ichigo was easy to get over. But the loss of Rukia? It was different. He'd seen her eyes. So wild, desperate, searching. For what? Answers he didn't fucking have? The ability to go save Ichigo and bring him back from the dead? "Fuck!"

Rukia felt her back hit the grown as Grimmjow dropped her to the dirt casually. Muffling a wince, she rubbed her eyes and looked around for the first time. She saw nothing. It was just a horizon. Dead grass cascaded the land around them, and they were currently on a worn path of dust and muck. The sun blazed above her, not a cloud in sight. How much time had passed? After her screaming and crying, she'd effectively shut herself down. She'd tuned out the world and drifted to a reverie of anywhere but here. Reaching up to rub her neck, she felt sweat.

"It's been over a fuckin' day. How long are you gonna stay like this? When did you turn into such a weak bitch?" He folded his arms over his broad chest and glared down at her. "Stop your crying."

For the first time in a while, Rukia felt emotion surge through her. But instead of hysteria, it was anger. She stood up and stormed up to her taller counterpart, glowering up at him. "You don't have any right to tell me what to do!"

Grimmjow was an angry person. And sometimes he didn't quite know to channel said anger. That, or he just didn't give a damn. Picking her up by her tattered clothing, he tossed her to the side violently. Dust kicked up around her as she rolled a few feet. But she was too angry to let it faze had and was up as soon as she'd gained momentum to spring herself forward. Eyebrows furrowed, she growled and ran toward him, driving a leg into the side of his calf.

Grunting from slight shock and pain, he dragged the back of his hand across her face a bit more harshly than he'd intended to. Her head snapped to the side with force, her body falling back down to the ground. She cupped her cheek and stared up at him with a dead expression. A glaze of apathy slid across her eyes as she dropped her hand and ignored the swelling of her cheek. Standing to her feet, she walked past Grimmjow without uttering a sound.

'_Shit._' He knew he fucked up. At least somewhat. It wasn't so much so as him knowing he fucked up as it was him knowing it pissed her off. She'd already put a bit of distance between them, but with his long strides, he caught up to her easily. "Look—"

"Why are you following me?" Rukia spun on her heels to face him, her face red with anger and irritation. She didn't understand why he was still with her.

Grimmjow answered without vacillation. "Because they're going to send people after you? Are you stupid? There's no way you'd survive one night without me."

"Yes, well you've made it quite clear in the past that what happens to me doesn't matter. And I don't need your help, regardless." Her back stiffened a little. "It's time to part ways. Good luck to you."

He wanted to stop her and persist on staying with her, protect her even. But he couldn't. It just wasn't him. So, he let the emotion drain from his face and returned her earlier look of impartiality. A long silence that wasn't quite awkward passed between them as they stared at each other. "Fine."

* * *

Rukia sat with her legs folded into each other. The temperature had dropped severely once nightfall descended. Her kimono was dirty, ripped, and fraying on the ends. A layer of light soot was caked onto her hands as she poked a stick into the blazing fire and scooted as close to it as possible, her toes nearly resting on the wood. After a lot of walking, she had found a forest and decided to claim it for a sleeping place. It was the best she was going to get in a place like this — a place she didn't know. The sound of crackling and snapping from the fire was muffled by her own lost thoughts.

She replayed the scene in her head over and over again. His face. Blood. _Don't worry_. Kicking. Screaming. Emptiness.

Hearing her stomach growl brought her back to reality, and she sucked in a breath of cold air. It was too cold and dark to hunt in such an unfamiliar place. She would have to suck it up and wait until morning to find food. Flicking an ant off her knee, she laid down and used her hands as a makeshift pillow. Her eyes stung from a mix of the smoke and a need to cry. She'd shed all of her tears and felt like her entire body was dry to the bone. Closing her dark amethyst eyes, she tried to expel the images playing behind her eyelids so she could sleep for a few hours.

* * *

A rustling sound alerted her senses instantly. She was smart enough not to open her eyes and reveal that she had gained consciousness. She waited, still and silent, trying to keep her breathing even as she listened for any more sounds. Rukia was ready to write it off as an animal but when she heard the snapping of sticks, she took action. Her eyes flashed open and she was up within an instant. She was only remotely shocked to see a familiar face standing before her, as impassive as ever.

Ulquiorra Schiffer stared down at her from a few meters ahead. The odd teal tear streaks still stained his face, and his black hair seemed to ruffle in the wind. He was dressed in the typical guardsmen white uniform. "You're coming with me. I suggest you don't resist."

She had no weapon. No ally. Not this time. All she had was herself. A ghost of a smile played on her lips, so faint it was unreadable. She was used to this feeling. She welcomed it. But these circumstances were different... This was no random mugger or rapist trying to take advantage of her like they always did in Habrinnia. She always had no problem taking them down. Guards that worked for The Factory were elite in every way. He was no commoner, and that look he gave her was slightly intimidating. She refused to act like it affected her at all, however. "No."

And just like that, the green-eyed man was gone. He flashed behind her so quick she wondered if he had somehow teleported there. With skill and precision, he so effortlessly reached around her and captured both of her wrists. He pinned them to her chest and held her back to him, holding her in a tight hug. She felt his mouth close to her ear when he spoke. "I was ordered to bring you in unscathed, but I know how to cause pain without leaving a mark."

A chill ran up her spine at his words, and she struggled against him. His arms were steel, though, and wouldn't budge. Using her legs, Rukia attempted to ignore their awkward position and reach back to kick him. But even when her foot did connect with his leg, it wasn't strong enough to earn even the tiniest of grimaces. She felt his arms tighten around her, squeezing the breath from her lungs. His hands felt like iron clamps around her wrists.

"I have no intention of dealing with you the entire way back. You can either follow willingly or I will incapacitate you." His voice was monotonous and frightening. And in that moment, she'd never wanted to see the color of cerulean so bad.

* * *

**Author's Note:** Sorry it took so long guys. Senior year is kicking my butt. My last day of school is June 3rd, though, so I'll have summer time to update more quickly (: And yes, this chapter is short. Sorry!


	11. My Savior

**COLD INTERFACE**

_My Savior_

Rukia tried to think quickly. The situation had turned sour within a moment's notice. She was staring Ulquiorra down one second and was being restrained by him the next. Since he was standing behind her, she couldn't really attack him in a way that would seriously hurt him. And he was holding her against him too firmly to try and slip out of. She wasn't really a dirty fighter, but the situation called for one. Bending her neck down, Rukia sunk her teeth into the guard's hand that was holding her own. Blood swelled into her mouth, and he ripped his hands back. She quickly jumped forward to increase the distance between him. Once she turned around to face him, her eyes widened as they landed on his mid-air figure. He crashed into her and pinned her down beneath him.

The bite wound stung, but he was able to ignore it with ease. Black blood seeped out of the tiny punctures and slid onto Rukia's wrist as he held them both above her head. Since she was so small, he was able to sit on her knees and still look her in the eye. Despite the bite, he showed no signs of irritation or anger. Ulquiorra's eyes were simply soulless as they stared down at her.

Writhing beneath him, she found that she was in even more of a predicament this time. Her legs were rendered immobile and no matter how hard she yanked, her wrists wouldn't come free from his iron grip. He repositioned his own grip so that he held both her wrists in one hand. Using his free hand, the green-eyed man reached into his pants pocket and withdrew a tiny plastic wrapping. Pulling it open, he took out a pill. At the sight of it, Rukia's adrenaline kicked in full-force and she managed to snake a hand free.

Ulquiorra stuck the pill between his lips and grabbed her free hand with his own. Once he pinned it back down above her head, his eyes caught hers. Rukia instantly knew how this was going to go down. Her eyes focused on the pill sticking out of his mouth, held tightly between his lips. Her eyes widened and she opened her mouth to scream at him. But before any sound could come out, he crushed his lips to hers. Ulquiorra forced Rukia's mouth open and plunged his tongue in, directing the pill to the back of her mouth. Her screams were muffled as they entered his mouth.

He yet again was able to grab both of her hands with his one and used his now free hand to pinch her nose. She struggled more beneath him, unable to breathe as his lips were still pressed firmly to her own. She began to turn red from a lack of oxygen, and her body started forcing her to take gulps of air. He pushed his tongue in further and she consequently swallowed the white pill.

Ulquiorra pulled his head back and released her nose. He held her there beneath him, his body weight crushing her into the ground beneath them. And within a second, Ulquiorra was up and off her, narrowly avoiding a kick to the side. His dead eyes fell on blue ones as he stared Grimmjow down. Anger was evident in the ex-slave's eyes, but the rest of his countenance displayed calmness.

Rukia felt the world lighten in weight. She felt like gravity shifted and she was warm all over, tingling. Her eyes lazily drifted to Grimmjow's form, and a tired smile played across her lips. He wouldn't stay still. Nothing would. The world was wobbling around her. She tried to sit up but found her body was too heavy. A groan came from her throat, but she wasn't in pain. An echoing thought screamed at the back of her mind, but it was muffled by dream lands and hazy clouds of the real world.

Grimmjow shifted his gaze over to Rukia's limp and barely conscious figure. She was smiling weakly and staring at him. The rage burning inside him only increased, and he stood so that he was in between Rukia and Ulquiorra. The sick fuck had kissed and drugged her. He _saw_ it. Damn! He'd kept an eye on her the entire night, and the moment he left to find food, the emo bitch showed up.

"There was no order to bring _you_ back, Jeagerjaquez. This matter doesn't concern you." Ulquiorra stared at the man evenly, watching his every move.

"You can't even get a girl without drugging her, can you clown fuck?"

"It isn't a short distance to The Factory. I wasn't going to handle with her annoying voice and struggles the entire way back."

"You son of a bitch, your ass is mine!" Running forward, Grimmjow threw a punch that was blocked by Ulquiorra's forearm. Grimmjow followed up with a punch to the face, and Ulquiorra's head bucked back. But he didn't let it faze him and the two were instantly engaged in a heated battle. A series of punches and kicks followed by body slams and grabbing were too quick for Rukia's unfocused eyes. Ulquiorra appeared to be the more skilled and adept fighter, but Grimmjow's brute strength far overpowered the dark-haired man's.

"St...op." Rukia mumbled to herself as she saw the forms clashing repeatedly.

Grimmjow, in a moment of luck, gained the upper hand and was able to get behind Ulquiorra and grab his head with both hands. "You should've never fucking touched her." With a brief twist, Ulquiorra's head snapped and his body fell to the ground. Grimmjow was worked up and filled with an uncontrollable rage. He was panting and heaving, but he tried to swallow it down. Growling, he felt the need to kill something else to help the insatiable blood lust he was feeling. He dared to look at Rukia, and once he did, all of his tension and violence subsided. He felt his body relax.

"C'mon. We don't have time to waste." Bending down, he scooped her into his arms and lifted her up. She stared at him curiously and reached her hand up to brush against his jaw. Laughing slightly, she didn't really know what was funny. She felt happy and a weird sensation of euphoria running through her. She was in complete drug mode by now, and Grimmjow knew it.

"Jeeze, you had me scared, kid." She'd never remember these words.

"Sorry?" Her voice was faint and didn't have the usual harshness. "I di'n mean it."

"What?" He continued walking and looked down at her.

"I don' wan' diff'nt path."

Grimmjow looked back to the road ahead of him, and for a moment didn't say anything. After a moment of consideration, he finally opened his mouth. "Me neither."

* * *

Rukia woke up with a killer headache. She sat up and grabbed her head, closing her eyes in pain. She felt sweat under her hand and opened her eyes to look at the moist palms. Confusion marred her face, and she looked around. She tried to gain some sense of where she was or what had happened. Looking around, she saw nothing but trees. Except she knew this wasn't the same clearing she had slept in yesterday. Yesterday...? Ulquiorra... What happened? She remembered struggling with him. And then what? Oh no... He had knocked her out and now they were on the way back to The Factory. When she saw no signs of him, she stood up. As soon as she stood to her full height, her knees buckled and she fell back down.

"What is this?"

She felt a disconnectedness with her muscles and movement. She tried to stand again and once she balanced herself, she stumbled forward into a run. Though she didn't make it far. After a few feet, she tripped over herself and fell into a hard chest. Hands grabbed the sides of her arms harshly and steadied her. She tried to jerk away but the hands wouldn't allow her body to go anywhere.

"Chill out. You haven't been kidnapped." Grimmjow stared down at her nonchalantly.

Her spirits lifted at the sound of his gruff voice, the voice she hadn't realized she missed so much. Gazing up at him, she felt a surge of emotion run through her and she didn't know why. Just the sight of his face had made her feel sorrow and relief and happiness all in once bout. In an uncharacteristic display of emotion, she wrapped her arms around his torso and hugged herself to him.

Grimmjow's eyebrows lifted in shock as he stared down at the girl hugging him. Her cheek was pressed into his chest and he felt...happy? But he didn't show such a thing. He merely stared down at her with a dark expression and watched her. "Let's get one thing straight." He pulled back and grabbed her by her jaw. His hand was so large that it wrapped around her entire lower face. He made her look up at him. "We're sticking together. Until that damn factory is out of business, you better get used to me being around. You got that?"

Rukia glared at him upon instinct, but she nodded in reluctance.

He let go of her. "Besides. Who else would save your sorry ass from creepy clown faces?"

"I don't need you to save me." It was routine of her to reject signs of needing help. She couldn't change it.

"Too fucking bad. Maybe I like it."

Rukia paused at his words. She opened her mouth to speak but was cut off by him interrupting as usual.

"Now fix me some dinner, bitch."

* * *

**Author's Note:** It's been a long time...again. Just know that I will never abandon this story. It just takes me a while to get the muse to sit down and pump out a new chapter. Love you guys!


	12. I Hate You

**Cold Interface**

_I Hate You_

It had been approximately one month since the run-in with Ulquiorra. Grimmjow and Rukia had continued traveling, staying low and never going through large crowds. They'd had to get used to each other. They both thought they were already "used" to the other, having lived in the same cell for months. But it was different now. For one, there was no Ichigo to play mediator. For two, they were both on the run for their lives. They didn't realize how large-scale this entire ordeal was. Even Rukia had thrown away her conversation with Gin Ichimaru. This wasn't just about two runaway slaves. It was about Japan. Hell, the whole world.

There were nights when they didn't say a word to each other, and there were nights where they couldn't stop talking. Grimmjow and Rukia were very mood-based people, albeit Rukia was more adept at maintaining composure. _Much_ more adept. Grimmjow seemed to channel any emotion through anger, which Rukia could relate to, but only to a certain extent. Her anger was more comical and harmless. His anger was violent. Scary. Murderous.

Even though they endured daily fights, they still built a bond. They learned things about each other. Some of these things they didn't even know about themselves. But the weird thing was that they worked. They had a disposition to balance each other out, providing some semblance of partnership. They didn't know where they were going, but they had each other, and that was the force that drove them on. But it wasn't the only one. They also had an innate want to survive. And they also didn't want Ichigo's death to be in vain. And then there was... Well, there was fear.

* * *

It was raining heavily, and they had no place left to go. They had reached the mountainside yesterday morning and decided to travel around it rather than through it, but that didn't seem like a viable option at the moment. It was about thirty five degrees, and neither of them had adequate clothing to protect them from the biting wind. So they sought refuge in a hollow cave. It was large enough that the wind couldn't touch them, but Grimmjow was unable to stand up to his full height without hitting his head on the ceiling. Rukia, however, had no issue.

"Fuck, it's freezing." Grimmjow, as profane as always.

"Really? I hadn't noticed."

Rukia was in a bitter mood that matched the frigid air around them quite well. A fire crackled between the two, and they both tried to sit as close to it as they could without getting burnt. Rukia couldn't help but shiver uncontrollably, seeing as she didn't have as much tissue padding to keep her body warm as Grimmjow did. The man was just a haven of muscles, and it almost made her jealous that he was ten times stronger than she was. She was strong for her frame, but not that strong. They had found this out on many occasions.

"Listen bitch, I'm not in the mood for your shit." His icy blue eyes slid to the side, staring at her coldly.

"Does it look like I care? I'm not the one making unnecessary statements about the weather."

Maybe a few weeks ago this would have caused them to erupt into a full-blown fight. But now they both just learned to ignore it. Grimmjow was getting good at mirroring Rukia's passive-aggressive tendencies. So instead of replying in out lash, the blue-haired man settled for grunting and averting his eyes back to the fire angrily. Soon enough, his glare turned back into its usual dull, emotionless stare. The two sat in silence for a few minutes, Grimmjow's mind being plagued by a thought that he was actually hesitating on voicing. What the hell? Grimmjow didn't vacillate with anything. So why the fuck was this any different? He was just going to say it.

"Take off your clothes."

"W-!" It was a good thing she hadn't been eating anything, because she would've choked.

"Just shut the hell up and do it. Our clothes and wet and are only gonna make us colder. We'll use our own body heat to stay warm."

Rukia knew Grimmjow, and she knew him well. He wasn't a pervert. And if he had wanted in her pants, he wouldn't taken one of the multitude of opportunities he'd been given in the past to do so. Sighing out, she glanced to the side before untying her ratty kimono. Her face reddened slightly as she tossed the wet mess of clothing to the side, remaining only in her white underwear and bra. When Grimmjow gave her an expectant look, she shot back a glare that spoke volumes: _Don't even suggest it._

Grimmjow shrugged before removing his shirt and pants, tossing the soaked cloth to the side. His boxers were still a little wet, but they weren't bad. Now that his skin was exposed, it felt frozen solid. But he knew what he was doing. He glanced over to Rukia, who was obviously having a harder time with this than he was. Grimmjow wasn't really the shy type, nor was he one to notice an awkward atmosphere even when it bit him. Rukia, however, could taste the tension easily. Nonetheless, she slid over to him.

The only sound currently in the cave was that of the fire, snapping and crackling as it waved back and forth. Grimmjow wrapped his arms around Rukia's thin body, and she leaned into him. Wherever his skin met hers felt infinitely warmer, they both noticed. Suddenly, any awkward tension was gone and they both relished in the warmth. His arms were strong around her, and he rested his chin on the top of her head, staring out into the cave opening. Grimmjow exhaled, a puff of visible air escaping his lips.

* * *

Rukia awoke as the sunlight invaded the cave, attacking her eyes even through her eyelids. She grimaced and opened them, squinting through the bright rays. It was still freezing, but the rain was no more and she couldn't see any clouds from where she lay. It was then that she took notice of the strong arm wrapped around her. She lay on her side with Grimmjow pressed tightly against her back, his arm draped over her body and keeping her close. She swallowed, half wanting to get up and half wanting to stay there forever.

The raven-haired girl opened her mouth to say something, but before anything else, Grimmjow's arm tightened around her, bringing her in closer. She felt his chest moving against her bare back as he breathed heavily. He kept tightening his hold on her, and she stayed silent as she heard him mumbling under his breath.

"No!" Grimmjow shouted from his sleep.

His arm tightened around her painfully, and she couldn't breathe. She tried to twist free or at least turn around so she could see him, but his arm wouldn't allow her to budge. It seemed every time she moved, he pulled her in closer. Rukia gasped for air before digging her nails into his thick arm, trying to get him to wake up. He growled animalistically before she began drawing blood under her nails. His eyes finally snapped open, and he panted for a second before realizing he was about to crack her rib cage with his arm.

"Shit."

He let go immediately, and she rolled onto her stomach, coughing and panting. Grimmjow stared at her in disbelief. A sheen of sweat covered his forehead, and he glanced around the cave to regain his bearings. What happened? Had he done that to her? She seemed fine now, at least, but what if he hadn't waken up? What was he even dreaming about? He couldn't remember. Once Rukia caught her breath, she pushed herself up, sitting on her knees and staring at him with slight worry in her eyes.

Grimmjow said nothing and proceeded to stand up and pull his pants back on. They weren't completely dry, but they were better than nothing. Plus, he was sweating anyway.

"Grimmjow..."

"Leave it alone," he bit out, slipping his shirt on.

"You need to-."

"No, bitch, I don't _need_ to do anything. What you need to do is shut the fuck up and leave me be when shit doesn't concern you."

Rukia furrowed her eyebrows and narrowed her eyes. "Why are you being such a jerk? I was only asking if you were alright."

"I'm fine."

"No, you're obviously not."

"Fuck, I said I'm fine!" Grimmjow reached out and struck her with his hand, causing her face to snap to the side. He instantly regretted it.

Rukia stared to the side, her head still in the position the slap had turned it to. She said nothing for a moment. Huffing, her eyes averted to him coldly. "I hate you."

* * *

**Author's Note:** I...really am sorry for updating so slowly. Please forgive me guys! D: Also, I haven't spell/grammar-checked this and it's 2 AM on a school night. Forgive me for any errors!


	13. Like Ice

**Cold Interface**

_Like Ice_

The world was a finite thing. It was small. It was crowded. It was insignificant. Compared to the stars out in that black sea of a night sky, Earthland was but a spec of dust on a God's shoulders. This meant Grimmjow was even smaller. Each human life amounted to something close to nothing. And yet each day, every single human being lived like what they were doing was _important_. Like they _mattered_. In the grand scheme of — of what, he didn't know — things, people were ants with little importance. The politics of the world were more or less a play of entertainment. The malice seeping in and out of The Factory higher ups, tyrants, and monarchs was always present. It was merely dormant in some. This malice spread like a plague from country to country, infecting even its people with a disdain for other people. Abhorrence swelled in everyone's hearts, and everyone liked to believe that they held value.

They didn't.

Grimmjow supposed hrisviews on things were a bit overly cynical, but he didn't really care. He didn't like politics. No. Not politics. He didn't like _people_. Growing up on the streets of Japan had indeed toughened his exterior as well as his interior, but it had also illuminated the vile humanity surrounding him. Human tendency was to survive. That's all anyone ever wanted. Money, sex, and power were the three most things coveted by the men who walked this planet. But even those were a subset of the true desire — survival. Being in power meant being able to ensure one's own life, as well as control others. Money only helped to gain and retain power. And sex was a natural and quite animalistic inborn desire, as it kept the population going. It was depressing, really, that all these people valued such things instead of raw happiness.

Grimmjow had never had anything in his life worth living for other than himself. Before getting kidnapped and being forced to work in The Factory, he was a loan shark in Raeka. If Rukia thought Habrinnia was bad, she wouldn't last five minutes in Raeka. The anarchy there was amplified tenfold, and murderers were left to run the streets. Poverty was not the biggest threat to everyone — evil men were.

It was almost a blessing to be in that cave with Rukia. They were no longer forced to slave away for twelve hours. They no longer had to watch over their shoulders for bad men. All they had to worry about was finding some food and fending off the cold, which compared to Habrinnia and Raeka was nothing.

But Grimmjow knew they couldn't stay there for long. They had to keep moving so that if anyone was following them, they wouldn't have a chance to catch up. Grimmjow wasn't stupid. They wanted Rukia for something. He didn't know what it was, but he knew she hadn't been brought to The Factory for her biceps. The petite girl was meant to serve a purpose, one that she had to serve alive. That bitch Ulquiorra had even went so far as to try and drug her to bring her back. That meant they _really _wanted her. And just her.

Though he wouldn't admit it, he had to protect her. He wasn't in fuckin' love with her or anything, but they were friends. Just like Ichigo had been their friend. He wasn't so heartless that he couldn't see that. Even if she wasn't talking to him right now and had proclaimed she hated him, she was still safe. He could deal with the cold shoulder if it meant her being alive. And as if on cue, Rukia had to go and fuck things up.

"Where are you going?" Grimmjow inquired. He rested against the wall as a fire was crackling in front of him. Using a sharp rock, he was busy carving a thick branch into a makeshift spear.

"I'm going for a walk. By myself." Her voice was cold and impassive, her eyes equally impartial.

"No you're fuckin' not. Not by yourself."

Rukia gritted her teeth and glared at him. "You're not in charge of my actions."

"We can do this the easy way or the hard way. It's your goddamn choice." His cerulean eyes lifted boredly to meet hers. He scraped the rock harshly against the stick, again and again as he stared at her. The dull expression on his face was intimidating, overpowering even. A warning.

But Rukia was too obstinate to succumb to his glare. Without another word, she turned and walked out of the cave. Grimmjow said nothing and stood up. Tapping his index finger against the tip of the wooden spear, he deemed it sharp enough to pierce through flesh if thrown hard enough. Running a hand through his hair, he walked out of the cave and glanced around. His eyes landed on Rukia, her raven hair sticking out amongst the snow.

The ground was not heavily covered with it. There was maybe an inch, and no more was falling. In fact, it seemed to be melting even though the sun was now setting. The air was notably warmer, though still frigid and cold enough to make the hair on his arms stand on end. Walking toward her, he called out for her to stop. She said nothing and kept walking, that damned stubborn nature of hers ever so prominent. His eyes narrowed dangerously, and he sped up his pace. Placing a hand on her shoulder, he twisted her around.

Rukia dipped her shoulder down to free herself from his grip, consequently allowing her to take a step back. He moved forward to match her step, however, and reached forward to grab her again. Neither of them realized the slope they had approached, the thin white blanket doing well to make it look flatter than it actually was.

In a sudden motion, they both lost their footing and began sliding down the slight hill. Though, the two were more concerned with each other rather than their rolling bodies. They wrestled with each other. Rukia shoved and hit at him, trying to get him off her, while he kept his grip on her shoulders. Redness filled her cheeks as anger swelled inside of her, but his countenance remained emotionless.

"Get off!" she yelled, bearing her teeth like an animal.

"No."

He was done playing games. If she was going to act like a child, he would treat her like a child. He was done with her fuckin' bullshit. All he was trying to do was protect her dumb ass, and she wanted to go run out like they were in a mother fucking winter wonderland where no one was after them. She needed a goddamn wake up call, and he was about to give it to her. And while both their attention were focused on each other, neither realized the approaching body of water.

Their bodies rolled down the bank and crashed into the icy water. A thin, breakable layer of ice covered the lake, save for the part they had broken by falling in. Instantly, Rukia's body went into shock at the extreme coldness. She inhaled and stiffened up, as she was neither mentally nor physically prepared to be submersed in freezing water. She tried to think, but no thoughts came. Instead, a thousand needles pricked at her skin until she felt numb.

Grimmjow's eyes widened. His body shuddered under the water, but he forced himself to maintain consciousness. Moving his arms, he swam toward Rukia and looped on arm around her waist. He pulled her up and swam to the bank. Rolling her on top of the snow-covered grass, he climbed over her and stared down at her. Instead of the cliche worried-filled eyes a man would usually have in his position, he resorted to the only thing he knew how to embrace: anger. His eyebrows knit together in a furrow. He placed his ear to her chest, and he heard no breathing.

"Come the fuck on, Rukia!" he exclaimed as he pinched her nose and pressed his lips over hers, blowing in with inexperience. He didn't know how to do this, but he had seen it done before. Pumping her chest a few times, he then blew into her mouth once more. After a second compression, she turned her head to the side and spewed water. Coughing, she sat up and shivered. Grimmjow wrapped an arm around her, getting ready to pick her up, until he heard footsteps behind them.

"Wow. You never seemed like the hero type to me. Been softening up, hm?" Nnoitra grinned down at the two.

* * *

**Author's Note: **Hey guys! Sorry for the meh chapter. I'll try and make the next one a little better. I seem to have a knack for getting muse at 4:30 in the morning, so that may be why.


	14. Did You Miss Me?

**Cold Interface**

_Did You Miss Me?_

Grimmjow's eyes dulled at the sight of Nnoitra. If there was one person Grimmjow hated most, it was him. His long and slick black hair fell over his shoulders. His beady eye pierced into Grimmjow, the other covered by an eye patch. He was tall and lanky, bigger than Grimmjow in terms of height but by no means bigger in muscle mass.

"You all must be pretty fuckin' dumb, sending only one man in after I tore the last one up." Grimmjow remained crouched by Rukia's side, eyes never leaving the guard in white.

"Oh, who said I came alone?"

A crunch in the snow alerted Grimmjow to the presence behind him. The blue-haired ex-factory worker jerked to a stand and whipped around, aiming an untrained fist at whatever would be standing there. But the fist was caught, and Grimmjow's eyes went wide at the orange-headed man before him.

But Grimmjow wasn't stupid, nor was he outwardly emotional. He wasn't about to throw a smile and a hug Ichigo's way. Deep down, he always knew there was a possibility of him being alive. But the fact of the matter was Ichigo had been under The Factory for over a month, with no Rukia or Grimmjow by his side. Anything could have happened.

"Ichigo."

The brightly colored hair atop Ichigo's head swayed slightly in the snowy wind. His eyes were completely different. They held a calm anger and desperation, but also something unnamed. Ichigo stared evenly at his former companion, and his white attire hadn't gone unnoticed by Grimmjow.

He hadn't let go of his fist.

"Long time no see," Ichigo answered coolly.

"Yeah." He wrenched his fist free. "Why're you dressed like that, orange?"

"I think you know the answer." Emotion had yet to play across Ichigo's face. His eyes traveled down slowly to Rukia's sleeping form.

"You're not gettin' her. Not even you."

A smirk spread to the corner of Ichigo Kurosaki's lips. "You think you can stop me?"

Grimmjow closed his eyes briefly and let out an inaudible sigh. He was so tired of this. So tired of The Factory, of people trying to steal Rukia away from him, of this goddamn snow.

So tired of this world.

Maybe he wouldn't have to be so angry all the time if he didn't have to put up with shit since the day he was born. Even in childhood, he always had to look over his shoulder to make sure no one was coming at it. He had never had one day in his life where he could sit back and just not give a fuck. He struggled every day, sometimes with new demons, sometimes with old ones. Ichigo had been his first legitimate friend in life, though he would never voice that thought aloud. And Rukia was just something different.

She came into his life like a ray of light. As much as he teased her and gave her shit, he cared about her. Yeah. He fucking cared about her. _And I'm not afraid to fucking say it. _

Grimmjow opened his eyes, staring at Ichigo. They knew how this was going to go down.

But during this reunion and suspense, Grimmjow had stupidly forgotten the faggot behind him. The dirty, sneaky fucker.

The one who took an extendable baton to the back of Grimmjow's head.

* * *

Rukia's eyes slowly opened, revealing a soft amethyst color. Her vision was blurred, and she had to blink a few times to see clearly. A pang rang through her head, reverberating against her skull. She furrowed her eyebrows and winced at the pain. Her other senses began to swim back to her, and she took in her environment.

Instantly, she was aware of where she was. The Factory cells were all kind of uniform, and staring at them every day for months on end allowed one to know every detail about them. She was on a chair instead of the floor, however, though her hands were not bound. She reached up to rub her head before glancing around.

"Ichigo!"

Her eyes widened, and a hesitant smile crossed her lips. He was alive? He was alive! She knew that he wouldn't go down so easily. Standing up, she walked over to him. He was sitting on the floor with his back to the wall. A knee was drawn up and his arm draped over it lazily. His head was bowed, thus his orange bands shaded his eyes from view.

"Hey. You okay, Ichigo?"

Ichigo smiled darkly before standing up. He towered over her, as per the usual, though this time seemed more menacing than anything. "Did you miss me?"

Rukia rolled her eyes, mistaking his dark taunting for his usual carefree teasing. She jabbed him in the ribs. "Could you be a little less dramatic next time you almost get killed?"

"I'm sorry." His smile faded, and he simply stared down at her.

Rukia narrowed her eyes in confusion. "Ichigo... You're acting weird."

"I'm sorry."

The raven-haired girl grit her teeth in frustration. She didn't like this. She didn't like Ichigo acting like some mindless drone. Where was the playful teenager she had shared a cell with? The one with anger problems that almost matched her own? "Why are you being like that?"

"Like what?"

Rukia sucked her teeth. She stared at him long and hard, unblinking. After a moment of thinking, she finally spoke. "What did they do to you?"

"What did they do to me?" An empty laugh filled his throat, quiet but growing in volume. "It's not _what_, but rather how much?"

Her lip trembled slightly. "I'm sorry we didn't come back for you. I thought- I though you-"

"Were dead?" A large smile graced his normally scornful face. His hand trailed up her arm before gripping it tightly. Ichigo tilted his head to the side and stared at her curiously, still smiling. "Maybe I did die. Who knows? I'm a new man, Rukia. I can be anything. I can do anything. I can _take_ anything."

"Ichigo, stop it. Don't talk like one of them. We're in this together. You, me, and Grimmjow." Grimmjow...? Where was he? Wait, what happened? Rukia had been so overwhelmed by Ichigo's appearance that she forgot where she had been. The last thing she remembered was rolling down the snow-covered hill with Grimmjow. Or was that a dream? Was this all a dream?

"_We_ aren't in anything!" Ichigo shouted. His grip on her arm tightened. "Don't talk like one of them, you say? How about you stop lying?" He glared down at her. "Yeah. I know. I know everything."

"I never lied to you! Either of you! Whatever they told you is wrong. You have to believe m-!"

Ichigo swung her around and switched their positions so her back was slammed to the wall. He kept his grip on her arm securely. Like iron. It was so tight, she could feel it going numb from loss of blood flow. "Don't bullshit me, Rukia! You can spit lies to Grimmjow, but I'm not that dumb. You were in on it. On all of it. It was you. You did it. And I'm going to kill you. They promised me that. Yeah. Promised. But I won't kill you. Not now. No, never now. I still want to talk, Rukia~" His voice had started angry and frantic but transitioned to light and sing-songish. "I want to talk. That's all I want."

Rukia stared up at him with slight fear in her eyes. But it wasn't fear for her own safety. It was fear for Ichigo. For what they had done to him. Whatever happened in the past month or two, it had changed Ichigo. They had brainwashed him. But Rukia was determined to bring him back from the brink of insanity.

"Good girl," he cooed at her silence. "Now tell me about Raeka two years ago."

* * *

**Author's Note:** All I have to say is... I can't afford my internet bill right now, so I've been writing tidbits every time I get to a place with free WiFi.

P.S. I didn't proofread this, so excuse any grammar and spelling errors!


	15. The Past, Present, and Never Gonna Happe

**COLD INTERFACE**

_The Past, Present, and Never Gonna Happen_

The blood was sticky and almost dried. Grimmjow felt his head with a tender hand. Luckily enough, the snow had kept the swelling down and minimized bleeding. It also had caused him to come down with cold-like symptoms. He wasn't sure what time or day it was when he came to. All he knew was that Rukia was gone, and so was everyone else.

So they had left him alive. Peculiar at best. But the cerulean-haired man didn't grasp for straws and deeper meanings that might or might not have been there. Guards were under strict control when they left The Factory, and Grimmjow wouldn't have been surprised to learn they didn't kill him simply because the order hadn't been explicitly given. Take Rukia and go. Sounded like Gin Ichimaru enough.

Grimmjow sat in the snow, staring down at the recollected whiteness. Falling flakes cut off his vision length to a good ten feet. Past that, there was nothing. Suddenly, in a moment of frustration, Grimmjow let out a guttural yell that built with power after a couple of seconds and cut off curtly. He ran a frustrated hand through his hair and stood up. Fuck, fuck, fuck. He had to go back there. He had to go save Rukia. All their progress. All their time together was wasted.

Judging by the fact he was so hungry he thought his stomach would start eating itself, a couple of days must have passed. That was enough time to get back to The Factory if they had come by mobile transport of some sort. Grimmjow slammed his fist into the trunk of a tree, bark chipping off on impact. He didn't have the means to get there quickly. Even if he left now, it would take a week by foot. Was it worth it? He could just run now. They weren't concerned with him. He could start a new, carefree life. One without hardship or restraint. Was it worth it?

He shook his head. Thoughts of Rukia's scowling face and ever so rare smile floated through his head. Just one more minute of being in her company was worth it. Heaving a heavy sigh, he began his trek back to where he was once enslaved.

* * *

"I've never even been to Raeka," Rukia answered with honesty lit in her eyes.

Ichigo's eyes were not his own anymore. They were deranged and made him look genuinely unstable. He was such a strong and sturdy person...how had they changed him in a month's time like this? It was tearing Rukia apart just looking at him. She knew the man he was, and she knew the impossibility of it all. What had they done? She screamed inside her head, but for the sake of keeping him calm, she showed no such thing.

"Did you know, Rukia? Did you know my mother was killed by an assassin?" Ichigo drummed his fingers in the air and looked at her with mild interest. "Matter of fact... So was my father and my two younger sisters." Rukia was sitting on the chair, staring up at him in confusion. Ichigo knelt down beside her and looped an arm around her back. He gestured widely with his free hand in the air. "Not me, see. I was lucky enough to not be home that day. My dad was a doctor to the young Empress of Japan. After she was killed, my family was targeted soon after." He smiled. "Ain't it funny. A bond so thin as a doctor-patient one is still warrants death. What did my mom do, you say? She was a preschool teacher. No affiliation. And my sisters? Both ten. Both completely unrelated to anything dealing with the throne."

Rukia swallowed. She hadn't know. "Ichigo, I'm sorry... I never knew."

"Of course ya didn't. I never told ya." Ichigo sighed and said nothing for a minute. He then smiled. "My mom once made me promise to find someone to protect. Looking back on it now, I feel like she knew that she would die and somehow I would be the only one to live." He shook his head again. "Oh! But back on track. Ichigo stood up and reached between Rukia's legs to grab the chair. He yanked it from under her and consequently made her fall onto her back. He moved over her and sat on her stomach as he stared down. "The assassins came from a clan called the Kuchikis. No one really knew what their name was. Everyone always just called them the Silent Ones."

Rukia's eyes lit up in recognition. Everyone feared the Silent Ones, even after the royal family had been murdered and the country plunged into a state of hysteria. No one knew how the government collapsed or who killed who. And Rukia didn't even remember anything about her family. She had been abandoned as a baby. There was an obvious possibility she came from the same family, but it didn't make sense. And it's not like she killed Ichigo's family. He of all people would never hold an innocent responsible for the actions of the guilty, no matter how they were associated. "Ichigo-!"

"Stop." Ichigo's humor had now left his face entirely. He leaned down and grabbed Rukia by the cheeks. Staring at her intently, the teenager then moved his face down to her neck and sniffed lightly. His tongue trailed along the skin of her throat, moving to the other side and up to her ear. "Oh, Rukia. I don't blame you for what your family did." He nipped at her. "I blame you for leaving me here to rot." Instantly, his hand grabbed her throat and he began to squeeze. He leaned back slightly and stared down at her with dead eyes. Moving his other hand to her neck, he continued to choke her and watch as she turned purple.

Rukia couldn't speak. All she could do was grunt and squeak, her nails clawing at his offending arms. Tears filled her eyes, and she felt like this was the worst moment of her life. Was she going to die? Would he kill her? The blackness beginning to surround her vision told her that yes. Yes he would.

And then, Ichigo let go. "Did you feel that? The feeling like you were about to die? That feeling of infinite fear and agony. I'm going to make you experience it so much that you'll end up begging me for death. As Rukia gasped and coughed, Ichigo brushed the lock of hair from the middle of her face.

"Rukia, I proclaim to you this: Each day that you are in here will be worse than the one before. And every worsening day will lead up to the grand finale." He smirked devilishly and stared down at her. "Because guess who's coming to save you." He nodded his head slowly as her eyes widened in recognition. "Ahh, yes. Grimmjow. If you think what your family did to mine was bad, just _wait_ until I tell Grimmjow who it was that killed his."

"Oh yes, and this story, unlike mine, actually does involve you directly." Ichigo got up and spat to the side. "Now tell me one more time you've never been to Raeka. I dare you."

Rukia's eyes lit up in realization.

And she. Stopped. Thinking.

* * *

**A/N:** Didn't spell- or grammar-check this at all, as per the usual. Late update...as per the usual. But really, the only reason I bother posting new chapters is because of the awesome reviews you guys leave. Even a short little "not bad" makes me want to keep writing CI :)


	16. Malefactor

**COLD INTERFACE**

_Malefactor_

Twelve days.

That's how long it took to even catch sight of The Factory. Grimmjow only stopped to hunt for food and sleep, the latter of which didn't come very often. Hell, he felt bad even lying down when he knew Rukia was inside that fucking hellhole again. But he couldn't go on. Lack of sleep wasn't a great thing for Grimmjow. He was irritable as is; insomnia would be a black plague, starting in his mind and ending in his heart.

Whenever he couldn't sleep, Grimmjow resorted to exercising in attempt to tire himself out further. Hundreds of push-ups and sit-ups merely allowed him to keep his muscular figure, not get bigger. It almost made him sick to think that he might not be strong enough to take down every bitch ass fucker in that building. But Grimmjow was a confident man, and he knew that once he reached The Factory, blood was going to spill.

"You fuckers are gonna burn." Instead of joy and relief at finally reaching his destination, he only felt an insatiable hunger for death and pain. He wanted to hurt so many people, and the only thing that kept him from allowing such hate to overwhelm and consume him was Rukia's face. Honestly, he hadn't realized how much she grew on him over their time together. From day one in their cell all the way until when they wrestled in the snow, she affected him. She made him want to be a better man, and no one in his life had ever done something like that. So when she was taken from him, the lividity that filled him was understandable to most.

* * *

Rukia had feared the worst but had not been given such. She expected broken fingers and waterboarding. In place of that, she was given bruises and mental torture. The worst part of the whole thing was that it was Ichigo who inflicted everything. She didn't see a single soul besides him. She knew once she got Ichigo to come to his senses, he would be overwhelmed with guilt. She didn't know how to handle that, so she was taking it one step at a time. She had to fix his sadism before she could worry about any potential masochism.

There also was the matter of her remembering her day in Raeka.

_"Now tell me one more time you've never been to Raeka. I dare you."_

Rukia cringed. She couldn't think about it. She had forgotten about that day for so long, probably on purpose. A defense mechanism of sorts. That memory had been crammed so far into the back of her mind that it was a miracle Ichigo could pull it out so easily.

"Rukia..." Ichigo stared at her through the bars of her cell, eyes full of sorrow and shame. He stared for so long that it felt real. He opened the cell door and stepped inside before kneeling in front of her. She was tied to her chair, hands behind the back of it. Her head hung low, but she looked up with a glimmer of hope at his sweet-sounding voice. "I'm so sorry... I can't believe... I did this. I didn't_—_I wasn't myself...!"

Rukia's eyes softened. "Don't blame yourself, Ichigo. These are sick, vile men who like to control everyone. You can't_—_!" Rukia stopped mid-sentence, interrupted by the sound of Ichigo's laughter. Her eyebrows furrowed in confusion and then anger.

"Wow, you are sooo selfless, Rukia. _Don't blame yourself, Ichigo!_ Ha! Pretty convincing." The orange-haired teen smirked. "Think Grimmjow will buy it?"

"Just leave me alone! Stop messing with me!" Rukia cried out in desperation.

Ichigo suddenly grew very serious very fast. "No. _You_ stop, Rukia! Stop pretending you're the fucking protagonist of the story!" Ichigo spit on her. "You honestly make me sick. Oh look at me, poor little Habrinnian girl, caught in a love triangle whilst serving as a slave to The Factory. Just shut the fuck up already!" Ichigo grit his teeth and tightly gripped the sides of her chair, pulling her closer to him. "How about embracing those true colors. Y'know, shed the rainbow and pick up some more of that black. It looks good on ya, killer."

"Don't call me that." Rukia whimpered inaudibly but struggled to maintain a straight face.

"The truth to hard for ya, killer?" He grinned.

"Kurosaki, time." A voice came from behind the bars, but Rukia just kept her eyes focused on the ground, unconcerned with it all. Ichigo smiled subtly before getting up and leaving.

And she sat there for what seemed like hours.

* * *

Grimmjow was taking the smart approach to this. Obviously, they wanted him to come back for Rukia. Otherwise, the order to kill him would have been issued. Instead, he was left alive. Therefore, he had to hold in his rampage. There was a good chance they would lead him directly to Rukia if he controlled himself.

Lo and behold, he was right.

Upon entering the facility, the two men guarding the entrance merely ushered him forward and directed him to where he needed to go. This definitely felt like a trap, but honestly, he gave no fucks. He would crush anyone trying to tear him apart from what was his.

Other than a few knew guards and workers, the place didn't seem out of the usual. Men worked the machines and put shit together. He even saw Soifon directing new shipments, as if she were a guard-in-training. Grimmjow huffed.

Reaching the cell of Rukia, Grimmjow jerked the keys from the guard's fiddling hands and quickly unlocked it. He stepped inside and stared down at her. She was sleeping on the chair, her hands still tied behind her back. She had cuts and bruises along her face and other revealed pieces of flesh. But other than that, she didn't seem to be dying or in grave pain. Still, he had no idea what had been done to her mind, something arguable much more precious than her body.

He crouched down beside her and placed a hand against her neck. She was feverish, but her breathing was calm. "Rukia." Glancing around behind her, he decided to work on untying her hands while waking her up. The knot came undone easily enough, and he pulled the rope from around her. "Hey kid, wake up. C'mon." He patted her cheek. Nothing was done lovingly, but for Grimmjow, this was immense progress.

Finally, the girl began to stir. A blur of blue filled her vision, and within seconds she knew who it was. "Wh- Grimmjow! Get out of here!"

"Shut the fuck up. Let's skip past the dramatics and get to me savin' yer ass again."

"But Grimmjow... We haven't even had story time yet." Ichigo stood at the entrance, casually leaning against the bars with his arms crossed and a smirk on his face.

Grimmjow whipped around, initially not recognizing the familiar voice. His eyes landed on Ichigo, and the moment he had been both dreading and looking forward to presented itself. Grimmjow had hoped it was a trick. Ichigo wouldn't really act like this. It had been an illusion in the snow.

But now Grimmjow was sure of one thing: he was going to have to kill Ichigo Kurosaki. And this time, there would be no mysterious reappearance. Grimmjow would make sure that Ichigo's head was disconnected from his body, much like he had done to Ulquiorra. Still... For respect of their former friendship, Grimmjow had to give it one good try. "You don't have to do this. You know this isn't you. I know this isn't you. Unfortunately, I don't have time to help put you back together. You've gotta do that right here and now, or I'm gonna have to kill you. You understand what I'm sayin', orange?"

"Oh, I understand perfectly. But please, before you get to ripping me to shreds, there is something Rukia has to tell you." Ichigo pointedly glanced in her way. "If you won't, then you know I will. Come on, don't you think his sister deserves a little respect?"

"My sister's been dead for years, you fuck." Grimmjow glared at Ichigo, but something in his gut made him stop and turn toward Rukia. The look on her face said everything. "What...? What is it?" Grimmjow had never told anyone about having had family. In fact, he had made himself forget as well.

Rukia swallowed and shifted her gaze to the side, away from the blue-eyed man. She didn't know how to start this. "I was the one..." Her heart was racing. Sweat collected on her face in a slick sheen. "Who killed her."

Grimmjow stared at Rukia for a long minute, eyes never leaving her's. His face was devoid of emotion. Nothing existed right then. There was nothing. It took so long to process, and if Rukia said anything else, he didn't hear it. Cold blood flowed inside him, reminding him of how he felt when he lost his younger sister. But something overcame Grimmjow entirely: maturity, trust, forgiveness. Maybe a mix of the three.

Grimmjow grabbed Rukia's chin roughly and made him stare at her. "We'll talk about this. Later." A warning emitted from his eyes and his eyes alone. He then stood and faced Ichigo. "If you thought that would make me hate her, you're pathetic."

Ichigo frowned. "So you're just as heartless as her?"

"Even more so." Their eyes met.

"Then I guess... All that's left is to see if you're more cold than I am."

Rukia stared at the two men, and she could tell just by looking at them that they both knew one of them was going to die in this cell tonight.

* * *

**A/N:** I was so happy at all the reviews, I got pumped to write another chapter! I know, I know. I hate making up OCs and shit like that, too. Honestly, the whole Grimmjow's sister thing isn't integral to the story like it seems. It's more so to show the amount of trust Grimmjow has in Rukia now, and then allow for a serious talk/bonding moment later in the story. Love you guys! Reviews appreciated :3

P.S. it's safe to say by now, I didn't proofread at all.

P.P.S I put a poll up on my profile regarding this story. Please vote!


	17. For You

**COLD INTERFACE**

_For You_

Their hands were around each other's throats, and the only difference between the two now was that Ichigo was smiling. Ichigo was better at grappling, which helped him in terms of his lack of power compared to Grimmjow. Ichigo's hands slid to Grimmjow's shoulders, and he pinched the nerves tightly while throwing his weight into the man to knock him down. Ichigo fell with him purposefully, his hands going back to Grimmjow's neck to squeeze the life out of him. Grimmjow took a hard swing, hooking a punch directly into Ichigo's jaw.

Rukia's eyes bulged, and she was on Ichigo's back in an instant, trying to pull him off. Ichigo yanked his left elbow back and into her face, causing her to fall to the side and cup her eye in pain. The image alone sent Grimmjow into a rage, but for whatever reason, Ichigo refused to let go despite being punches in the face until blood stained every feature.

"You can't have her! She can't have you! You two fucks left me!" Ichigo cried out, his eyes now possessing a dark desperation that Grimmjow had never seen before. It was starting to come out now - the real Ichigo. But the problem was that there was no 'real Ichigo' and 'tortured Ichigo.' There was just this fucked up version of the two put together, and Grimmjow knew now that there was absolutely no way to bring Ichigo back. He was a lost soul, and it was saddening.

Grimmjow could feel blackness flooding his vision; the tingle of his skin told him he was only moments away from unconsciousness. He kept socking Ichigo in the face. Blood poured from the orange-haired male's nose, covering Grimmjow's shirt. Ichigo's left eye was swollen shut, and a cut so deep that bone show was apparent on his forehead. The man was a machine, still able to choke Grimmjow senseless through all of it.

Grimmjow's eyes rolled back, and darkness flooded him.

Rukia kicked Ichigo hard in the face, and it succeeded in getting him off the unconscious Grimmjow. Ichigo didn't let up, though, and he turned his newfound anger to Rukia now. He charged her, grabbing her by the face and slamming her back into the wall. His entire hand was long enough to cover her face, but he could see a quivering eye peeking out between his fingers. "You're the worst. You ruined everything. You gave us hope and happiness. We were just fine before you came. We would have lived long lives as friends, Grimmjow and I."

"So I meant nothing to you? You wish we'd never met? Is that it?" Amazingly enough, Rukia found the strength to be angry, too.

Ichigo said nothing and growled before pulling her face forward and slamming her head back again. Spots pricked her vision, but she clung to the thin string of consciousness. "I didn't say that." Ichigo began to war with himself. His eyes flickered with longing for the briefest of seconds. It wasn't a longing for her love or anything like that. It was a longing for her friendship. For the trio that was Ichigo, Grimmjow, and Rukia to persist throughout all of time. But the quick flash of softness was soon crushed, and his psychotic rampage resurfaced.

"Nn-" Rukia was jerked forward again.

"This doesn't have a happy ending." Ichigo grabbed the knife from his clothing and thrust it forward into Rukia's stomach. He let go of her face and quickly wrapped an arm around her back, saving her from falling. Her eyes went wide, and blood began leaking slowly from her wound despite the knife still sticking out of her. He stared at her coldly as he held her, relishing in the moment of having her to himself during her last moments. He hadn't wanted this. He never wanted this. Tears slipped from his eyes, and he watched as Rukia's head fell back limply over his arm.

* * *

Grimmjow dreamed. It may not have seemed like it, but his dreams were often beautiful. Of course nightmares plagued him occasionally, but he dreamed of nice places and nice people constantly. A world without pain and a life without strife. Maybe, if the world was different, he would have been born into a family of doctors. He could have went to school and met an English major named Rukia there. They could have gotten married and had kids. They could have grown old and wise together. Lived and died together. Their children would have told stories of how they always fought over the stupidest of things like whether a toilet seat should be left up or down, but when it came down to it, they were solid. So solid that Grimmjow never sought another woman and Rukia never cried silently to herself in unhappiness.

The smile on her face throughout all those years together never changed. He loved that smile so much - so goddamn much it hurt.

His eyes opened, and he found himself smiling at the thought of making her a permanent part of his life. They could do this. They could get out of here and be together. They could live and grow and smile and dream together. They could -

Grimmjow's breath hitched. His smile faded. He seethed.

He was up in an instant, pulling the knife from Rukia's stomach and shoving it into Ichigo's chest. But he wasn't done. As Ichigo's eyes widened and he stumbled back, Grimmjow pulled the knife out again and slashed him across the face. He grabbed the back of Ichigo's neck and repeatedly stabbed him in the stomach, as if making him feel what Rukia felt ten times over.

There was no dramatic ending. There were no last words. The only thing there was was a dead body lying at his feet. Grimmjow dropped the knife in a shock of exasperation and disbelief. He stared down at Ichigo's bloody form with incredulity.

The sound of Rukia wheezing made him turn and crouch down next to her. Pulling the knife from her stomach had caused the blood to come out faster, and her cursed. He scooped her up in his arms and barged out of the cell in a controlled panic. The fact no guards had come to intervene in the altercation played no importance in Grimmjow's mind. He rushed to the medical wing, managing to gain the attention of Hanatarou along the way. The skinny young boy followed without word, too scared and worried to say anything around Grimmjow. He emanated heat, and Hanatarou knew if he so much as stepped accidentally in his way, he would die.

Grimmjow dropped Rukia to the hospital bed, and Hanatarou instantly went to work on her. The medical wing wasn't in use very often, and no one was stationed there unless ordered by Gin. Grimmjow stared down at Rukia's unconscious body, his eyes so full of hurt and hope that it made him feel nauseous. He wasn't good at this. He couldn't just sit and watch and hope. His anger would get the best of him.

Storming out of the medical wing, Grimmjow entered a new level of rampage. He knocked everything in his path over. He threw glasses and mechanical tools across the work room. "Where the **fuck** is Ichimaru? Ichimaru!"

"Please, don't cause such a fuss. It will disturb the workers around you~!" Gin walked down the stairs that led up to the oversight room only guards were allowed in. As Grimmjow made a beeline for him, guards stepped in and restrained him. "Now, now. What's all this about?"

"She's dead! You killed her!" Grimmjow struggled like an animal beneath the grip of the men holding him.

"_I_ killed her? _I_ stabbed her?" Either news traveled fast or Gin had eyes everywhere.

"You knew this would happen!"

"Well, I must admit that a dead scapegoat isn't as good as a live one. In fact-" Gin's cool voice was cut off by the sound of an explosion on the far side of the room. The wall had a gaping hole inside it with debris scattered around. The guard's let go of Grimmjow, and he was too distracted to make a move for Gin. A whirring mechanical sound could be heard from outside the wall, the sound growing louder every second. Everyone stood still and watched. It seemed like a millennium before everyone saw the monstrosity of a tank enter the building, spraying bullets and shooting low-grade rockets at whatever it could. Grimmjow took cover behind a wall and realized he was in the west wing's corridor. The medical room was adjacent, and he didn't hesitate and running for it. As he burst in, he saw that Rukia was in nothing but underwear, still unconscious on the bed. Still, in the short amount of time, Hanatarou had managed to get halfway done in stitching the wound up. Now that it was cleaned of the blood, it seemed smaller and more insignificant. But her slow breathing made him think again.

"Hurry up, we've got to go _now_." Grimmjow gripped the safety bars on the ledge of the bed as he stared down.

Hanatarou said nothing and concentrated on his work. He had to have heard the explosion and bullets, but he persisted anyway and didn't stop for a second. He cared about Rukia more than anyone in this god-forsaken place, and he was going to save her. Grimmjow realized this and decided to not say anything else. His eyes darted anxiously to the entrance of the room, expecting soldiers to march in any second.

Hanatarou finished his stitchwork and quickly applied a pad of gauze and taped it down to her stomach. The sounds of people dying were growing closer. They could hear yells from outside the room. "In the supply closet! Now!" Hanatarou opened up the door and revealed a half-sized closet barely big enough for someone like Grimmjow to fit into.

But he didn't argue.

He grabbed Rukia and lifted her gently but quickly into his arms. He squeezed into the closet and held the girl close. Hanatarou closed the door, and Grimmjow could hear a clang of medical tools and the slamming of pantry doors. Finally, a crash was heard and Grimmjow heard the presence of men in the room. He heard Hanatarou speak with an impish voice.

"W-Wait! I've done nothing wrong! I only cook food and clean an-!" _Pop._

"Room clear."

With that, Grimmjow heard the fading footsteps. He waited a minute before exiting the closet. The sight of Hanatarou lying dead on the floor hit him harder than he would have liked to admit. But he had no time to grieve or question. This shit was bigger than he thought.

Still holding Rukia, Grimmjow peeked outside the room to make sure all was clear. When satisfied, he slipped out and slinked along the wall. An exit normally patrolled by guards was now open for all to use. Two dead white-coats lay in their own blood, and Grimmjow felt no pity. He kicked open the door which sounded off an alarm. Thankfully, the sounds of shouts and gunfire cascaded over the sound of the alarm heavily, diluting it.

He could see nothing but dust and smoke outside. A tree burned nearby, threatening to spread to the other trees that surrounded The Factory. Grimmjow headed for the forest anyway, knowing going toward the mountainside in the other direction would put them too out in the open. As he ran, he tried not to jostle the sleeping girl in his arms. At the thought of her, he looked down and realized how positively cold she was against his skin. He frowned and picked up his pace.

He only looked back once, and what he saw was enough to make his eyes open fully. The Factory was in flames, a palace-sized building burning in a hellish fire that ebbed black and grey smoke.

* * *

**A/N: **Sorry for any grammar/spelling boo-boos! You know how lazy I am.

Thank you guys for your feedback. It really encourages me, and it's probably the only reason I bother to update this story still. So a lot of stuff went down in this chapter, and I'd like to hear your thoughts. Good, bad, and mixed - as long as it isn't downright mean :) -PB


	18. Our Dark Story

**COLD INTERFACE**

_Our Dark Story_

The weight of everything that had happened was suddenly crashing down on Grimmjow. Having dealt with obstacles and life struggles all his life, it was still a hard hit whenever something like this happened. Ichigo was his best friend — someone he trusted. Someone he trusted to take care of Rukia in case he ever bit it himself.

And fuck, Hanatarou was just a kid, man. Just an innocent kid caught up in all of this factory bullshit. Just a kid with a crush who wanted to help and be strong for once in his life.

Grimmjow had only looked back once at the building that was ablaze, shedding his past as quickly as he turned back around. He could feel himself about to lose it. His arms were shaking as they held the cold girl tightly, both from rage and from shock. His last hope in life and its potential to be anything but shit was within that very girl and that very girl alone. If she died, he didn't know what he would do. He would become a shell. A fragile, sickly shell.

As he ran into the forest, he could hear shouts in the distance and knew they had been followed. He cursed under his breath and kept moving despite the burning pain in his legs. He wanted so badly to give up the hope of Rukia being alive, because when he looked down at her, the milk-white color of her cheeks told him she no longer breathed. His grip tightened on what he considered to be her corpse.

"Men, split up! Find them at all costs**_!_**"

Grimmjow's eyes widened at the command, and he pushed himself harder. Sweat covered his face in a thick sheen before a few beads began rolling down his skin. This couldn't be the end. It couldn't end like this! Fuck! Why couldn't he just be happy for once? Why couldn't he just have a life with Rukia? He wouldn't even ask to have Ichigo back if it meant being able to live happily with Rukia. All the time spent with her was either in chains or on the run, and he wanted to see more. He wanted to live in freedom with her. How did she act when she wasn't watching over her back every two seconds? When she didn't have to sleep in such a crumpled-up ball?

Grimmjow entered a clearing in the forest that was more or less circular, and he skidded to a halt upon seeing men in uniforms pop out in a march, guns tight in their hands. He jerked to the side, but men marched out of the brush in every direction, encircling him slowly. He squeezed Rukia tightly to him, refusing to let them touch her. His eyes were wide and vicious like a cornered animal.

"Do not resist! We are here to apprehend Rukia Kuchiki and arrest her under the charges of treason, assassination of a government figure, and a multitude of others." A man with four stars on his hat stepped forward, obviously leading the battalion.

"Hell no." Grimmjow bared his teeth slightly and frowned. "You'll have to take her over my dead body."

"Have it your way," the commander said darkly. "Men! Ready your weapons!"

Grimmjow swallowed. The time was nearing. He could feel it in his bones. He would be slain in cold blood without ever having told Rukia goodbye. He would never get to experience those dreams he so often dreamt. He started shaking violently, but he refused to shed tears.

"Aim!"

The uniform sound of metal shifting could be heard as dozens of guns trained on Grimmjow. He fell to his knees and hunched over, hugging Rukia to him tightly and shielding her with his own body. As he cradled her to him, felt her faint breath against his face. He looked at her with strained eyes.

"Grimmjow?"

The shock of her voice rang through him like a gong. "Yeah, I'm here," he said quickly and quietly. "Are you in pain?"

Rukia's eyes remained shut. "I feel like I'm in the afterlife." She swallowed with difficulty. "Is Ichigo here?"

The blue-haired man rested his face against hers, and suddenly Rukia felt a wetness on her cheek. "Yeah."

"And you?"

"Always." Grimmjow sucked in a slow breath as his gut twisted into an awful pit of sickness. His entire body felt numb as he rushed to get in his last words with Rukia. "Look, Rukia. You know I suck at things like this, but I don't have much time so just listen to me, alright?" Despite his words, his voice was much softer than usual. In fact, Rukia had never heard such a soft tone from Grimmjow before. "I just—."

Shots rang through the forest. Gunpowder filled the air inside the clearing.

Grimmjow slumped.

* * *

The incessant beeping of the heart monitor made her open her eyes. She stared up at an all-too-white ceiling. As her purple irises traveled to the side, she watched her heart rate jump normally on the monitor. Her eyebrows furrowed.

"You're awake."

Rukia turned her head over and glanced to the possessor of the voice. A tall, stoic-looking man with black hair that rivaled hers stared down at her. It was so long that it reached past his shoulders. His deadened eyes stared at her without question, though he had many. "My name is Byakuya. Byakuya Kuchiki."

Rukia's mouth parted slightly, and she stared in disbelief. "No way. I thought—."

"You thought wrong." His voice was cold and empty.

Rukia suddenly remembered the events leading up to her unconsciousness. She sat up abruptly and looked pleadingly to her elder brother. "Where is Grimmjow?!"

Byakuya glanced to the side before closing his eyes solemnly.

Rukia bit her lip.

"That _brute_ is asleep in the next room." Byakuya's distaste for the man was almost tangible.

Rukia's heart jumped, and she felt an overwhelming wave of security wash over her. She covered her mouth with both hands and leaned over, looking down at her lap. Tears filled her eyes, and she began to laugh a light, loving laugh that spoke of how absolutely blessed she felt.

* * *

As the soldiers aimed their weapons at Grimmjow, awaiting the order for their commander, they failed to hear the approaching army behind them. Byakuya led them swiftly and silently, motioning for every man to enter the clearing and take fire. The men burst forward with the grace of assassins, both shooting and slicing the enemies at hand. It was over within seconds, and as every red-coated soldier fell to the ground, the black-garbed men moved in and stepped over their bodies.

Grimmjow glanced up with confused eyes, watching at Byakuya made his way through the maze of bloodied and dead men. "Who the hell are you?"

Byakuya stared down at him with stolid eyes. "Today, I am your savior." His eyes moved to Rukia. "Do not expect the same tomorrow." He allowed Grimmjow no time to respond. "Are you going to sit their all day, or are you coming with us?"

"Coming with you where?"

Byakuya grew impatient. "Back to the Kuchiki domain." His eyes narrowed. "Or would you rather Rukia die in the arms of scum?"

Grimmjow didn't miss the dig Byakuya took at him, but he didn't care at the minute. He stood up quickly and followed the clansmen, still disbelieving of everything that had just happened. He glanced down at Rukia's unconscious form and felt his heart warm. _There's still a possibility. There's still a chance I can have you. _And that's all he needed for right now, he mused, as he carried her in his arms toward a brighter tomorrow.

* * *

**A/N: **So this story has been going for like...four years? Yeah, that's crazy. It shouldn't take that long for a story to finish :U

So yes, I'm wrapping it up. Most people have long forgotten about CI, but for those of you who still read, I really appreciate it! I know this ending was kind of cheesy and rushed and whatnot. **Yes, I will be posting an epilogue.** So watch out for that. But yay, happy ending! I really almost killed Grimmjow and Rukia off and left it with an ending of tragedy, but then I thought of all the angry comments I would get... Plus, I feel like they deserved a happy ending, having lost Ichigo.

I will be posting a story entitled **The Darker Days **soon. It is kind of a Rukia x harem, but romance really isn't the main focus, though it is a prominent one. It's about a militaristic co-ed boarding school where everyone is trained from an early age to join the military and fight in the inevitable World War. My muse for this story was inspired by both Game of Thrones and Attack on Titan. So if you like either of those, I'd suggest reading. I am really excited for it and will be taking reviews into consideration for how to lead the story. So if you're looking for another IchiRukiGrimm story with a more equal balance than this one, add me to your alert list!

Thanks once again, everyone!

P.S. I know this was abrupt and unexpected, but I would rather wrap this story up than potentially leave it to rot. Now that I have a stable internet and source of income, I'm back on my game with stories and starting fresh really is the best solution.


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